My travelogue to DUBAI from 28.12.18 to 2.1.19

During the year end of 2018, I had a surprise Gift by my son who arranged a sudden trip to Dubai(from 28.12.18 to 2.1.19)  to celebrate my birthday and New Year beginning.He arranged Flight tickets /VISAs for me,my wife and himself in a very short time. The details of our trip are given below in chronological order. The photos uploaded here, except the photos of Rotana Hotel and Palm Jumeirah island , were taken by me in my Redmi A6 Pro mobile and by my son in his Iphone X.

Flight to Dubai from Bengaluru: 28.12.18

My son booked tickets by  Emirate Flight EK 565  in Economy Class from Bengaluru International Airport to Dubai on 28.12.18 departure at 10.25 am. When we reached the Emirates Counter to get boarding passes, my son was approached by an Executive of Emirates Airline and offered to change the tickets in Business Class at a discounted rate. Immediately my son agreed and upgraded the tickets to Business Class. It was the first opportunity for me and my wife to travel in the Business Class which we enjoyed very much with the extra comforts available.

After reaching Dubai Airport at 1pm (Dubai time), we had to go to another part of Terminal 3 by a Train for completing Immigration process and Baggage clearance.

On reaching Dubai Airport, we were met by Marhaba Service Executive who arranged for VISA on arrival for my son and Immigration Checking in a very short time. In the absence of their Service we would have spent at least two hours to complete the process in view of big queues in front of the VISA and Immigration counters.(Marhaba is an exclusive meet and greet service that makes the airport something to look forward to—for you, your clients or your loved ones. From fast-track clearance through arrivals or departures to helping with transfers, baggage and family travel, we ensure a swift, smooth and safe passage through the airport."Marhaba" is an Arabic words, it is used in middle east to greet people, as Hello in English and Namaste in Hindi. The literal meaning of marhaba is as per it's Syriac origin is: Mar: Master or God. Haba:Love. Marhaba: God is love.)

After clearing our baggage, we were met by Mr.Abdul, a Driver cum car owner who was engaged by my son for our travel in Dubai from 28.12.18 to 2.1.19. He took us by his car to Al Bandar Rotana, a five star Hotel in Dubai Creek.

Courtesy: Google Photos

Inside view of Rotana Hotel

Sight seeing in Dubai on 28.12.18
After taking rest in the Hotel room, we went to Palm Jumeirah island (The Palm Jumeirah  is an artificial archipelago in the United Arab Emirates, created using land reclamation by Nakheel which extends into the Persian Gulf. It is part of a larger series of developments called the Palm Islands, including Palm Jebel Ali and Palm Deira), which, when completed, will together increase Dubai's shoreline by a total of 520 kilometres (320 mi). It is located on the Jumeirah coastal area of the emirate of Dubai  Wikipedia). 

Palm Jumeirah island  Courtesy: Google photos

To reach the island we had to travel by a tunnel constructed under the Sea. We could have a glimpse of  Atlantic Hotel situated in the Island. 

It was really a treat to see all the trees en-route illuminated with lights everywhere.

From Palm Jumeirah, we proceeded to visit the famous Burj Khaleefa (The Burj Khalifa, known as the Burj Dubai prior to its inauguration in 2010, is a skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. With a total height of 829.8 m and a roof height of 828 m, the Burj Khalifa has been the tallest structure and building in the world since its topping out in late 2008. Wikipedia). 

Before reaching Burj Khaleefa ,we had our dinner in a restaurant inside Dubai Mall which was near the tower. After that we could see the Fountain shows  in the lake and Laser show of Burj Khaleefa.

Night view of Burj Khalifa

Sight seeing in Abu Dhabi and Dubai on 29.12.18

On 29.12 18 after taking breakfast in the Hotel, we proceeded to Abu Dhabi ( 140 kms from Dubai)by car. On the way we could see many skyscrapers in different shapes. On reaching Abu Dhabi , visited first Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque which is  one of the world’s largest mosques, and the only one that captures unique interactions between Islam and world cultures. Sheikh Zayed's vision for the Grand Mosque was to incorporate architectural styles from different Muslim civilizations and celebrate cultural diversity by creating a haven that is truly diverse and inspirational in its foundation. The mosque’s architects were British, Italian and Emirati, and design inspiration was borrowed parts of Turkey, Morocco, Pakistan, and Egypt among other Islamic countries, revealing a glistening architectural marvel with an astonishing capacity of 40,000 worshipers and visitors. (Source:https://visitabudhabi.ae/en/see.and.do/attractions.and.landmarks/iconic.landmarks/sheikh.zayed.grand.mosque.aspx)

In view of the huge crowd of people visiting from all over the world, there is a big queue in the mosque regulated by security guards every where. The mosque is magnificent in every aspect of architecture, size and design. Some of the pictures captured by me are posted below:

Different views of the Mosque

After visiting the mosque we took lunch in Hotel Saravana Bhavan and after shopping in Lulu Mall we proceeded to the famous Museum in Abu Dhabi which is known as Louvre Abu Dhabi .( It is approximately 24,000 square metres (260,000 sq ft) in size, with 8,000 square metres (86,000 sq ft) of galleries , making it the largest art museum in the Arabian peninsula.-Wikipedia). 

We could visit all the galleries consisting of sculptures,paintings ,ornaments,weapons etc  reflecting different civilization of different parts of the world,

I have posted below some of the pictures taken in the Museum:

Sight seeing in  Dubai on 30.12.18

Miracle Garden:  Our first visit for sight seeing was to Dubai Miracle Garden.(  Dubai  Miracle Garden        was launched on Valentine’s Day, 2013, and is set in the heart of Dubailand.Seeing the garden in full bloom with its 150 million flowers arranged in colourful arches and patterns, and the myriad shapes they form, is truly magnificent. Dubai Miracle Garden’s breathtaking landscaping has earned two Guinness World Records for the largest vertical garden in 2013 and world’s largest floral sculpture forming the shape of an Airbus A380 in 2016.  https://www.dubaimiraclegarden.com/ )

We were enthralled to see the magnificent Miracle Garden which has all types of flowers and plants beautifully arranged in different shapes viz Disney cartoon characters, Houses,Animals, Bus,Aeroplane etc. There are many eatouts in the Garden with benches ,chairs etc to sit and relax. As in other places there was huge crowd of peoples from different parts of the world to enjoy the beauty of the Garden.

I post below some of the pictures taken in the Garden:

Desert:

After enjoying the visit to Miracle Garden, we proceeded to have a glimpse of the Desert outside Dubai. On the way we could see small mountains which are actually, the garbage collected and dumped by Trucks.

                       Green mountain formed by Garbage dumped

We could also see  on the way two places where Confiscated vehicles were dumped.

  Confiscated vehicles Yard

Finally we reached the beginning of the desert but did not venture to go for Desert safari. 

Our driver by oversight drove the car in the sands of the desert and the front tyres were struck in the sands. After struggling to take the car out for some time,luckily a Gentleman from Oman after seeing our flight came to our rescue. He towed our car with his car and pulled out the vehicle. It was really an anxious and  thrilling experience for us.

Car struck in sand

Glow garden:

After the visit to Desert we returned to Dubai and had our lunch in an Iranian Restaurant. After taking rest in the Hotel, we visited the Glow Garden of Dubai in the night. ( Dubai Garden Glow is a World of Imagination with a Skillful blend of World’s Unique Art and Theme creating an amazing concept.

Experience 4 magical themes in one venue:

• Glow Park : The ‘largest glow-in-dark garden’ made of Millions of energy saving bulbs and yards of recycled luminous fabric
• Dinosaur Park : The ‘biggest Dinosaur park’, that displays more than 120 animatronic Dinosaurs
• Ice Park : The Polar climate in the Middle of the Desert with ‘All New Marvelous Ice Sculptures at Ice Park’
• Art Park : Very New ‘Eco-Friendly ART Park’ made up of Thousands of recyclable Small Bottles, Ceramic Dishes and CDs.
• http://www.dubaigardenglow.com/)

In the Glow garden we could see the illuminated images of animals,birds, cartoon characters etc. We could also see many animated dinosaurs in the Dinosaur park.

I post below some of the pictures taken in side the glow garden:

Dubai Miracle garden and Glow Garden are a must to visit and enjoy for all persons visiting to Dubai

Sight seeing in Dubai on 31.12.1918

On 31.12.18 we shifted to Asiana Hotel since my son extended the stay for further three days and rooms were not available in Hotel Rotana.

After taking rest till noon, we wanted to see the Fireworks of Burj Khalifa. Since we were told that there would be huge rush near the tower, we decided to watch the fireworks from a distance.We selected a place near the famous Dubai frame. 

The Dubai Frame is an architectural landmark in Zabeel Park, Dubai. It has been described by The Guardian newspaper as "the biggest picture frame on the planet"The Dubai Frame is created out of glass, steel, aluminum, and reinforced concrete. It is positioned in such a way that representative landmarks of modern Dubai can be seen on one side, while from the other side, visitors can also view older parts of the city.(Wikipedia)

Watching the Dubai Frame very close itself was amazing due to the frequent change of colour of the frame. I post below some of the pictures of the building with different colours.

We could see Burj Khalifa within the Frame at a far distance. When the time was approaching 12 pm for the beginning of the Fireworks, a huge crowd of people gathered near the Frame and standing on the nearby bridge and flyover. At sharp 12 pm we could see the Fireworks (but it was not so impressive since we saw it from a far place)and people gathered there started to shout Happy New year.

Sight seeing in Dubai on 1.1.2019

On the morning of 1.1.2019 we went for shopping in Dragon Mall .

Water fountain in front of Dragon Mall

After taking lunch and rest in the Hotel we went to Jumeirah Beach.The Jumeirah Beach is particularly famous for its white sands. The soft and clear, fine granules let your feet sink right in. We could see a lot of tourists in the beach and many sea gulls were flying there. We could also see beautiful flower plants.

We also enjoyed a spectacular sunset  view of the seven-star Burj-Al-Arab in Dubai, and the stunning monument is set against Dubai’s coast and is a sight to marvel at. 

Burj-Al-Arab

After visiting the beach, we went for shopping again in roadside shops  near the place where many decorated boats /some of them with restaurants were taking passengers for boat rides.

Return trip from Dubai to Bengaluru on 2.1.2019:

After spending/enjoying nearly a week trip in Dubai we left by Emirates Airline EK 566 at 1.35 pm and reached Bengaluru at 6.35 pm.

Thus we had a hectic, enjoyable and memorable trip to Dubai. 

                                                        

  

My travelogue to Hampi

I enjoyed a sight seeing trip to  HAMPI  for  three days from 21.11.18 to 23.11.18 with my wife,son and his friend . Hampi in the South Indian state of Karnataka, is dotted with numerous ruined temple complexes from the Vijayanagara Empire. 

All the pictures in this article are taken by me and  my son.

ABOUT HAMPI

Hampi, also referred to as the Group of Monuments at Hampi, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in east-central Karnataka, India. It became the centre of the Hindu Vijayanagara Empire capital in the 14th century. Chronicles left by Persian and European travellers, particularly the Portuguese, state Hampi was a prosperous, wealthy and grand city near the Tungabhadra River, with numerous temples, farms and trading markets. By 1500 CE, Hampi-Vijayanagara was the world's second-largest medieval-era city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at that time, attracting traders from Persia and Portugal.The Vijayanagara Empire was defeated by a coalition of Muslim sultanates; its capital was conquered, pillaged and destroyed by sultanate armies in 1565, after which Hampi remained in ruins.

Located in Karnataka near the modern-era city of Hosapete(Hospet), Hampi's ruins are spread over 4,100 hectares (16 sq mi) and it has been described by UNESCO as an "austere, grandiose site" of more than 1,600 surviving remains of the last great Hindu kingdom in South India that includes "forts, riverside features, royal and sacred complexes, temples, shrines, pillared halls, mandapas, memorial structures, water structures and others"

Source:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hampi

The details of my trip are given below:

TRAVEL FROM BENGALURU TO HAMPI ON 21.11.18

We  started the travel from my son's apartment in Bengaluru in his car on 21.11.18 at 7.30 am. Hampi is 352 killometers from Bengaluru. As guided by Google Map we took the route via Chitradurga. The road up to Chitradurga is very good.since it is a National Highway. But once we took  a deviation from Chitradurga towards Hospet/Hampi the road condition was  deteriorating and the journey was horrible with very rough road all the way upto Hampi. Further since there were no restaurants en route we had to skip our lunch at usual time. After undergoing the strenuous  journey of  nearly 7 hours we could reach Hampi around 3 pm.  We stayed in Heritage Resort,Hampi which is near most of the monuments.

After taking some food and rest we went for sight seeing around 6 pm but could not see much since it was very dark by that time and there were no lights near the monuments to see them clearly in nights. 

SIGHT SEEING ON 22.11.18

VIRUPAKSHA TEMPLE

After having breakfast at the resort we started for sight seeing by fixing Auto for taking us to all the important places. First we went to Virupakasha temple which  is the oldest shrine, the principal destination for pilgrims and tourists, and remains an active Hindu worship site. Virupaksha is the only temple that continued to be a gathering place of Hindus and frequented by pilgrims after the destruction of Hampi in 1565. The main deity of the temple is Shivalinga.

Inside and outside the temple there were many monkeys and the visitors must take precautions to protect their valuables which might be snatched by the monkeys.

SHIV LINGA IN WATER AND LAKSHMI NARASIMHAR MONOLITHIC STATUES

Our next visit was to a place having two big statues of Shiva linga and Lakshmi Narasimhar. Both are large monolithic statues.(Made of single block stone). Lakshmi Narasimha statue is of 22 ft height. Due to passage of time many parts of the statue are in broken condition. On the left side of Narasimhar initially there was the statue of Lakshmi which is now missing. So the Statue is now called as Uggira Narasimhar.

Within a short distance we could see the huge Shiv Linga statue of 9.8 ft height. It is immersed in water  and has three eyes sketched on its top

UNDERGROUND SHIVA TEMPLE

The next place visited by us was  Prasanna Virupaksha temple which is also known as the underground Shiva Temple.An interesting fact about the Prasanna Virupaksha temple is that it is located a few metres below the ground level. 

The roof of the temple is at par with the present ground level while the main structure of the temple stands on a low lying area. We have to climb down the steep stairs to go inside the temple .The place is infested with a lot of bats. A Shivalinga is there inside the Garbagraha. A Nandhi  with mutilated face is facing Shivalinga.

ELEPHANT STABLES AND ZENANA ENCLOSURE

Next place visited by us contained the famous elephant stables and Zenana Enclosure. Entry fees for the place is Rs.40 per head and we were told that the same entry fee ticket can be used for entry to Vithala temple also.

 The Zenana enclosure contains the Lotus Mahal, the latter being a two-storeyed pavilion in the royal centre.

                                                               

Gajashala, or elephant stables, which consist of eleven square chambers aligned north-south. The openings to the stables are arched; above ten chambers are alternating fluted and plain domes. In the middle of the stables are stairs to reach the roof.

    

QUEEN'S BATH

After leaving Zenana Enclosure we went to see  the structure called as Queen's bath .Though named as the Queen’s Bath, it was in all probability used as the private bathing chamber of the king and his queens. The Queen’s Bath is a rectangular building. The structure has an area of 30 square metres. A large sunken bath constructed in the centre of the structure .

After visiting Queens bath we went to Tamarind tree restaurant  on the way to our next place of visit and took lunch. Quality of the food was not bad but the hygienic condition was not satisfactory.

VITHALA TEMPLE

Since Vithala temple is about one and half kilo meters from the road they have arranged battery operated vehicles to pick up about 12 persons at a time for which they charge Rs.20 per person.

The Vithala Temple is also known as Shri Vijaya Vitthala Temple. It is dedicated to Lord Vitthala, an incarnation of Lord VishnuVithala temple as such is a very big complex with many independent mantaps  with beautiful and delicate  images carved on the pillars. 

The temple has also an amazing stone structures of a stone chariot with four stone wheels which look very realistic.

There is a mantap with Musical pillars inside the temple complex which we could not visit since it was under maintenance.

Though there were many other interesting monuments to be visited we restricted our tour by visiting Vithala Temple due to shortage of time. It will be ideal to spend minimum two days to cover all the interesting places in Hampi.

After completing our visit to the monuments we checked in Evolve Back Kamalapura Palace resort. Evolve Back is located just 4 km from the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Hampi. The resort  is inspired by the architectural splendour and magnificence of the Vijayanagara Empire. The resort features all the charms of the bygone era like the fort like entrances, stone-paved boulevards, arched hallways and regal chambers. 

To know more about Evolveback resort,Hampi and for booking click the link below:

https://www.evolveback.com/hampi/

RETURN JOURNEY TO BENGALURU ON 23.11.18

After enjoying the facilities of the resort and taking rest in the night we left Hampi next day around 12.30 pm. Since we did not want to undergo the horrible journey in the route through Chitradurga we took the other route via Bellary and Anathapur which was really very good. After taking lunch in a restaurant in Bellary and tea  break in Ananthapur we reached Bengaluru around 8.30 pm.

The trip to Hampi was a memorable experience  for me which gave an opportunity of  seeing the ruined monuments which reflect the glory and splendour of Vijayanagara Empire. 

Income Tax Slabs / Rates for Individuals for Financial Year 2018-19 (AY 2019-20)

The income tax is calculated differently for individuals based on various factors such as the type of income, amount of income, age, etc. In order to calculate the income tax from salary, an individual will require declaring the total amount of earning and the total amount of deductions. The government allows the individual to draw exemption on particular types of investment.

For salaried individuals, no changes have been made to the income tax rates proposed in 2017. However, the 3% Education Cess from the previous year has been replaced with a 4% “Health and Education Cess”. 

Furthermore, a standard deduction of Rs 40,000 has been introduced for all salaried individuals for transportation or medical reimbursement purposes.

For Income Tax slabs/rates for the Individuals for Financial Year 2017-18(AY 2018-19) Click the Link:https://svsaibaba.blogspot.in/2017/05/income-tax-for-individuals-for-annual.html

Income Tax slabs/rates for the Individuals for Financial Year 2018-19(AY 2019-20) are given below:

Individual resident aged below 60 years (i.e. born on or after 1st April 1959)

Income Slabs		Tax Rates
i.	Where the taxable income does not exceed ₹ 2,50,000/-.	NIL
ii.	Where the taxable income exceeds ₹ 2,50,000/- but does not exceed ₹ 5,00,000/-.	5% of amount by which the taxable income exceeds ₹ 2,50,000/-. Tax Relief u/s 87A - In case of tax payers, having total income not increasing ₹ 3,50,000/-, income tax chargeable on the income or ₹ 2,500/-, whichever is less.
iii.	Where the taxable income exceeds ₹ 5,00,000/- but does not exceed ₹ 10,00,000/-.	₹ 12,500/- + 20% of the amount by which the taxable income exceeds ₹ 5,00,000/-.
iv.	Where the taxable income exceeds ₹ 10,00,000/-.	₹ 112,500/- + 30% of the amount by which the taxable income exceeds ₹ 10,00,000/-.

Surcharge :

• 10% of the Income Tax, where taxable income is more than ₹ 50 lacs and upto ₹ 1 crore. However, the amount of Income Tax and Surcharge shall not increase the amount of income tax payable on a taxable income of ₹ 50 lacs by more than the amount of increase in taxable income.
• 15% of the Income Tax, where taxable income is more than ₹ 1 crore. However, the amount of Income Tax and Surcharge shall not increase the amount of income tax payable on a taxable income of ₹ 1 crore by more than the amount of increase in taxable income.

Health & Education Cess : 4% of the total of Income Tax and Surcharge.

Senior Citizen (Individual resident who is of the age of 60 years or more but below the age of 80 years i.e. born on or after 1st April 1939 but before 1st April 1959)

Income Slabs		Tax Rates
i.	Where the taxable income does not exceed ₹ 3,00,000/-	NIL
ii.	Where the taxable income exceeds ₹ 3,00,000/- but does not exceed ₹ 5,00,000/-	5% of the amount by which the taxable income exceeds ₹ 3,00,000/-. Tax Relief u/s 87A - In case of tax payers, having total income not increasing ₹ 3,50,000/-, income tax chargeable on the income or ₹ 2,500/-, whichever is less.
iii.	Where the taxable income exceeds ₹ 5,00,000/- but does not exceed ₹ 10,00,000/-	₹ 10,000/- + 20% of the amount by which the taxable income exceeds ₹ 5,00,000/-.
iv.	Where the taxable income exceeds ₹ 10,00,000/-	₹ 110,000/- + 30% of the amount by which the taxable income exceeds ₹ 10,00,000/-.

Surcharge :

• 10% of the Income Tax, where taxable income is more than ₹ 50 lacs and upto ₹ 1 crore. However, the amount of Income Tax and Surcharge shall not increase the amount of income tax payable on a taxable income of ₹ 50 lacs by more than the amount of increase in taxable income.
• 15% of the Income Tax, where taxable income is more than ₹ 1 crore. However, the amount of Income Tax and Surcharge shall not increase the amount of income tax payable on a taxable income of ₹ 1 crore by more than the amount of increase in taxable income.

Health & Education Cess : 4% of the total of Income Tax and Surcharge.

Very Senior Citizen (Individual resident who is of the age of 80 years or more i.e. born before 1st April 1939)

Income Slabs		Tax Rates
i.	Where the taxable income does not exceed ₹ 5,00,000/-.	NIL
ii.	Where the taxable income exceeds ₹ 5,00,000/- but does not exceed ₹ 10,00,000/-	20% of the amount by which the taxable income exceeds ₹ 5,00,000/-.
iii.	Where the taxable income exceeds ₹ 10,00,000/-	₹ 100,000/- + 30% of the amount by which the taxable income exceeds ₹ 10,00,000/-.

Surcharge :

• 10% of the Income Tax, where taxable income is more than ₹ 50 lacs and upto ₹ 1 crore. However, the amount of Income Tax and Surcharge shall not increase the amount of income tax payable on a taxable income of ₹ 50 lacs by more than the amount of increase in taxable income.
• 15% of the Income Tax, where taxable income is more than ₹ 1 crore. However, the amount of Income Tax and Surcharge shall not increase the amount of income tax payable on a taxable income of ₹ 1 crore by more than the amount of increase in taxable income.

Health & Education Cess : 4% of the total of Income Tax and Surcharge.

Any NRI or HUF or AOP or BOI or AJP

Income Slabs		Tax Rates
i.	Where the taxable income does not exceed ₹ 2,50,000/-.	NIL
ii.	Where the taxable income exceeds ₹ 2,50,000/- but does not exceed ₹ 5,00,000/-.	5% of amount by which the taxable income exceeds ₹ 2,50,000/-.
iii.	Where the taxable income exceeds ₹ 5,00,000/- but does not exceed ₹ 10,00,000/-.	₹ 12,500/- + 20% of the amount by which the taxable income exceeds ₹ 5,00,000/-.
iv.	Where the taxable income exceeds ₹ 10,00,000/-.	₹ 112,500/- + 30% of the amount by which the taxable income exceeds ₹ 10,00,000/-.

Surcharge :

• 10% of the Income Tax, where taxable income is more than ₹ 50 lacs and upto ₹ 1 crore. However, the amount of Income Tax and Surcharge shall not increase the amount of income tax payable on a taxable income of ₹ 50 lacs by more than the amount of increase in taxable income.
• 15% of the Income Tax, where taxable income is more than ₹ 1 crore. However, the amount of Income Tax and Surcharge shall not increase the amount of income tax payable on a taxable income of ₹ 1 crore by more than the amount of increase in taxable income.

Health & Education Cess : 4% of the total of Income Tax and Surcharge.

* Abbreviations used :
   NRI - Non Resident Individual; HUF - Hindu Undivided Family; AOP - Association of Persons; BOI - Body of Individuals; AJP - Artificial Judicial Person

Source: https://finotax.com/income-tax/slabs-1920