Raipur: Chhattisgarh. It is the capital and the district headquarters of the newly created state of Chhattisgarh.
Rajagriha: Bihar. It is the place where Mahavira died in 468 B.C. The First Buddhist Council was held here in 487 BC during the reign of Ajatasatru.
Rajgir: Bihar. Rajgir was the ancient capital of the Magadh emperors and an important pilgrimage centre for the Buddhists, Jains, Hindus and Muslims. It was the capital of the mighty Magadhan Empire in the fourth century B.C. It is also construed as the first recorded capital in Indian History. It was in Rajgir that Lord Buddha delivered some of his famous sermons and converted king Bimbisara of the Magadh Kingdom to Buddhism. Rajgir is also reverently mentioned in Ramayana and Mahabharata. The First Buddhist Council was held here on one of the hills in the Saptaparni Cave, which is also the source of the Rajgir hot water springs, considered sacred by the Hindus. The Chinese scholar Fahien also visited Rajgir. Rajgir is also the site of the Vishwa Shanti Stupa, the “Peace Pagoda” built by the Japanese. Important tourist places in and around Rajgir include: Gridhakuta or the “Hill of the Vultures” (the site where Buddha returned after his enlightenment to deliver his sermon and set in motion his second wheel of law and converted the powerful Magadhan king, Bimbisara into the Buddhist order); Karnada Tank (the place where Lord Buddha used to bathe); Venuvana (the Bamboo grove was the royal park built by King Bimbisara and gifted to Buddha in order to make it easier for his devotees to visit him); Pipali Cave (a rectangular stone sculpted by the forces of nature on the Vaibhava Hill which became the resort of pious hermits, also popularly known as “Jarasandha ki Baithak”); Amaravana or Jivaka’s Mango Garden (which marks the site of the dispensary of the royal physician, Jivaka, who happened to dress the wounds of Buddha here when he was injured by his hostile cousin Devadutta); Ranbhumi (is believed to the place where Bhima killed the mighty Jarasandha after a month long wrestling duel); Ajatshatru’s Fort; Swarna Bhandar (two strange cave chambers hollowed out of a single massive rock which has inscriptions in the hitherto un-deciphered Shankhalipi or Shell script etched into the wall); the Cyclopean Wall (a Pre-Mauryan stone); Brahmakund ( a popular hot spring) and Kundalpur (the Digamber sector of the Jains believe that Lord Mahavir was born at Kundalpur).
Rajmahal: Bihar. It is another medieval settlement on the eastern fringe of Bihar. The Jami Masjid, Akbari Masjid, Mughal Bridge, Jagat Seth’s mint, an old temple at Kanhaiyasthan which houses the foot prints of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu are interesting places in Rajmahal. In the paddy field lies an interesting 17th century tomb acknowledged as the first octagonal tomb of eastern India.
Rakabganj: New Delhi. It is the famous gurudwara in Delhi where the 9th Sikh Guru, Guru Tej Bahadur is cremated.
Rameshwaram: Painted corridors of Rameshwaram” Tamil Nadu. The sacred island town of Rameswaram is famous for the Ramalingeshwara Temple. Rameshwaram has the longest corridor in the world. It also has the Dhanushkodi, the meeting point of Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean. Rameshwaram is connected to the Indian mainland by the Pamban Bridge. Kothandaramaswamy Temple at Dhanushkodi, Ramnathswamy Temple, Gandhamadhana Parvadham and Kurusadai Island are important places in Rameshwaram. The Gulf of Mannar has been declared as a Bio-sphere Reserve. Erwadi, located about 21 kms from Rameshwaram, is well-known for the tomb of Ibrahim Syed Aulia.
Ranchi: Jharkhand. Situated picturesquely in the heart of Chotanagpur at an altitude of 2,140 ft above sea level, Ranchi is the capital of the newly created state of Jharkhand. It is famous for the Ranchi Hill bearing a Shiva temple and the Ranchi Lake , the Tagore Hill named after Ravindra Nath Tagore who is believed to have written a part of his famous Gitanjali here, besides other poems, the Ram Krishna Ashram, the 17th century Kankedam Temple, where the annual Rath Yatra (car festival) is held in the month of June/July. The place is also renowned for the Hatia Dam and the Hundru, Jonha, Sita, Dassam, Hirni, Lodh and Sadni Falls. McCluskieganje, located about 60 kms from Ranchi, is a sleepy hamlet, which was once popular with Anglo-Indian families with their typical cottages, clubs and shops. Netarhat, the queen of Chotanagpur, located about 156 km from Ranchi is a beautiful summer resort. Balarajgarh is famous for the ramparts of an ancient fort of Raja Bali. Bhimbandh has hot water springs flowing in rivulets.
Ranikhet: Uttaranchal. It is a beautiful hill station near Nainital, which offers panoramic views of the western Himalayas.
Rashtrapati Bhawan: New Delhi. It is the official residence of the President of India. It is the largest presidential residence in the world. Built of cream and red sandstone, it is a synthesis of Hindu, Muslim and Colonial architecture. The building comprises of the magnificent Durbar Hall, the Ball Room, the State Dining Room and private chambers. It has 227 columns, 35 lobbies, 37 fountains and 340 rooms. The Mughal Garden at the Rashtrapati Bhawan is famous for a large variety of roses.
Rashtrapati Nilayam: Hyderabad, Telangana. Formerly known as Residency House is the official retreat of the President of India located in Hyderabad. Originally the Residency House, was constructed in 1860 by Nizam Nazir-ud-Dowla.It became the country house of the British Resident at Secunderabad. After the Hyderabad state’s liberation in 1948, it became President’s retreat and used as Southern Sojourn.
Raymond’s Tomb: Hyderabad, Telangana. Located in Saroornagar, about 10 km from Hyderabad city centre, the Raymond’s Tomb is a 7 m high black granite obelisk or the pillared shrine with ornate initials ‘J.R.’ engraved on its sides. The initials stand for Jaochim Raymond, a gallant French trader-turned-soldier who was the Comptroller of Ordnance during the times of the Fourth Nizam of Hyderabad, Nizam Ali Khan. The area where he developed a garden is now known as the “Moosarambagh”. A 28-pillared open structure resembling a Grecian temple is located close to the Raymond’s tomb.
Red Fort: Delhi. The fort, built by Shah Jahan, was completed in nine years at a cost of about a ten million rupees. The fort is octagonal in plan, like most Islamic buildings in India. On the north the fort is connected to the smaller Salimgarh fort by a scaffold. The main entrance nowadays is through the Lahori gate. The Chhatta Chowk, Naubat or Naqqar Khana or Hathipol, Diwan-i-Am, the Mumtaz Mahal, Rang Mahal, Khas Mahal, the Diwan-i-khas, the Hamam and the Shah Burj give testimony to the magnificence of the fort.
Rishikesh: Uttaranchal. Famous pilgrimage centre known for the Laxman Jhoola, Muni-ki-Reti, Bharat Mandir, Nilkanth Mahadev, Raghunath Mandir, Triveni Ghat, Chandreshwar Temple, Someshwar Temple, Hanuman Temple (erected in 1924 by Swami Ramdas), Rajaji National Park and Kedarnath Musk Deer Sanctuary. Rishikesh also has several ashrams like Sivanand Ashram, Yoga Niketan, Omkaranand Ashram, Swargashram, Geeta Bhavan, Parmarth Niketan, etc.
Rohtak: Haryana. Rohtak is one of the historical districts of Haryana. It finds a mention in the Mahabharata as well as the Skanda Purana. People also believe that Kartikeya, Lord Shiva’s son, rode around Rohtak on a peacock. Rohtak was the site of many strong forts in the past like Meham, Hansi, Sirsa, Meerut, Hastinapur, Satkumbha, Sthaneshweri, Mohanbari, Prakritnagar, Patannagar, Havannagar and Malba. Khokrakot, near Rohtak, is a place where ruins of the forts of Khokar King Khokhrashah are found. Archeologists have found many coins and articles of historical importance from this site. The other important places in Rohtak include the Dini and Adina Masjids; Pirzada Masjid; Shahjahan Ki Baoli; the Gaokaran tank and the Bhindawas Lake.
Ropar: Punjab. It is the site of an ancient Indus Valley settlement.
Rothney Castle: Himachal Pradesh. Located in Simla, it was the home of A.O.Hume.
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