Neuschwanstein Castle is the most famous fairy tale castle in Germany. It was built by the king Ludwig II of Bavaria in the 19th century.  But, the king himself could not see the entire castle made because before the castle could complete he died by drowning in the nearby lake under mysterious circumstances. From the planned 200 rooms in the castle, only 14 were finished when he died.

The castle is located on a beautiful location i.e. on the hills of the Alps in Bavaria from where you can look over the beautiful valley of Hohenschwangau. The castle reminds of various Walt Disney movies. Actually, this castle has been the inspiration for most of the Disneyland stories including Cinderella's. More than one million people visit this castle annually and it is amongst the favorite tourist destinations in Europe. 

When the Neuschwanstein Castle was built, it was equipped with the latest technology of that time. All the floors had the toilets with the automatic flush system, electric bells were there to summon the servants and also, there was a centralized heating system for the castle. The rooms in the castle were majestically decorated with paintings all over the walls. The interiors beautifully depicted opera scenes of Wagner, the famous composer of Germany. Walt Disney was inspired by this castle and created the Magic Kingdom with this castle in mind.

How to Get to Neuschwanstein Castle

The castle is close to Munich and trains, buses and taxis are available which take you to the Neuschwanstein Castle.

Opening Hours and Admission Tickets

1. The castle is open from 9.00 am to 6.00 pm during the months of April till September.
2. It is open from 10.00 am to 4.00 pm during October till March.

Admission Tickets

Adults - €9

Students - €8

Kids under 18 - Free

Do's and Don’ts 

1. Do take a horse drawn carriage up the hill to the castle. It is a unique experience in itself.
2. Take the walk up to Mary’s bridge, which crosses a stunning waterfall and gives you a breathtaking view of Neuschwanstein and the surroundings.
3. Visit the Hohenschwangau Castle where King Ludwig spent most of his life. This castle is equally spectacular.
4. Do not click pictures inside the castle.

I'm writing this article to make the readers realize that this kind of people (like my tutor) also exist in our society, that too living a successful life, no matter whatever problems they faced or whatever burdens they lifted to keep moving their life to finally reach the current status he attained.

I'm Manu C Nair, from a middle-class family living in Kerala. After my 12th std I planned to join a college in Tamilnadu for my higher studies. Most of us Keralites opt for Tamilnadu to do our higher education as it contains many class-educational institutions with affordable fee structure.

Now on to the story, it was the first day in my college when i saw him for the first time "My tutor" came in for the first class and introduced himself "My name is Maruthamuthu and I'm given the responsibility as your class in-charge". He was very jovial and always encouraged us to discuss general-informative topics or current affairs. His classes were always fun and one would never guess that he is a man who has moved on through all the sufferings and problems in his life.

It was one day when he started to tell his story to us, realizing that we were slightly off-track in our studies.  He said "Why are you misusing the golden opportunity that god has provided to study???". We were stunned by his sudden remark on us. Then he narrated his life story.

The story goes like this - "Our tutor was born in a poor family in outskirts of Dindigul district, Tamilnadu. He lost his father when he was young. It was his mother who went to work in paddy fields for their day-to-day expenditure. My tutor went to nearby Government school and topped the 10th standard examinations in that school. But to go for further education he lacked money and planned to halt his studies. But the good heart of a famous school in Dindigul district who came forward to sponsor my tutor's education up-to 12th standard by seeing his good marks. Things didn't change he studied well and also topped the 12th standard examinations in his school.

Soon after he stopped his studies and searched for jobs to help his mother, who was working hard in paddy fields to make her son's future bright in all possible ways. He then joined in nearby Engineering college, which was newly started at that time as an "Attender" or in other words "a Poen".His salary was Rs.45/day. But he opt this job as he was desperate to help his mother out of her misery. He had immense interest in taking up further studies, but the poor financial condition didn't allow him to continue.

But at last he decided to join evening classes to do BSc.Mathematics as correspondance course (part-time) and somehow managed to pay the fees. He continued working as attender in the college for next 3 years. During his days in college as attender he often stood and watch alongside of various classes and was very depressed that he couldn't afford such quality education. But he didn't lost his enthusiasm to study which resulted in the good marks in his degree. He completed his degree with a first class.

After completion of degree the first thing he did was meeting the bank manager of a nearby bank and there he enquired the chances of getting an education loan for his further studies. The manager was pretty impressed with the enthusiasm of the young lad to study and the certificate which depicts the good performance of him in all examinations. But the manager was doubtful on how tutor could manage to repay the loan. But, finally the loan sanctioned as a result of repeated pleadings and the good heart of that manager.

He then joined for MCA in the same college in which he worked as "Attender" for 3 years. Everyone there was surprised but most of them knew his calibre and encouraged him to do well. This time also, as usual he topped the University and got the gold medal from Anna University as he topped in results. 

Now he is working as a Professor in Software Engineering Department in the same college in which, 3 years ago he was working as an "attender". While typing these words, I got 'goosebumps' as wave of inspiration passes on my body.

It needs huge confidence, attitude and sheer Will power to attain what he have achieved. What i think makes his achievement special to me are:

1. Without the financial support from the family, working as an "attender", when nowadays everyone is running for "white-collar jobs".
2. To pass-out Post Graduation with a gold medal, when nowadays no one cares so much to study well with all the facilities we have such as - computers, laptops, net connection, reference books, extra coaching etc.
3. His enthusiasm to study when someone would have easily get distracted to take up further studies with all financial and family burden on him.

Look what this man has achieved in his life, When we keep on complaining about "What we don't have?" forgetting all the things that "We have!"...

Hey readers, think when a person can rise from "Attender" in a college to "Professor" in the same college, Can't we also make the CHANGE???

Sydney is a beautiful and a famous harbour city of Australia. Sydney is a city of excellent food, colorful festivals, sparkling beaches and lot more. You will find many heritage sites in Sydney. There are various activities which one can do such as enjoying a harbour side dinner or watching a performance at the famous Sydney Opera House. Sydney offers multiple attractions, sites and activities to its tourists of all ages.

Famous Tourist Attractions in Sydney

Sydney Opera House

The first thing which comes to mind when one thinks of Australia or Sydney is the famous Opera House. it's a UNESCO World Heritage site and is considered to be an icon of Australia. Sydney Opera House is a beautiful example of architecture in the world. Attending an opera here is a lifetime experience. It is always better to book tickets online in advance as only limited tickets are available. One can also take a tour of the Opera House but be informed that it invloves lot of walking.

Sydney Harbor

Sydney Harbor is a beautiful site to see. You will find hundreds of cruise boats, sailing boats and ferries on the sea. One can take a ferry ride from the Circular Quay (area from where the ferries depart every few minutes) to the Rocks or the Bondi Beach. There are several walkways also from the Circular Quay that lead you to various places such as the Opera House, Sydney harbour Bridge and the royal Botanical Gardens.

Sydney Harbor Bridge

Sydney Harbor Bridge is a wonderful bridge built across the Sydney Harbor. Climbing this bridge and getting stunning views of the entire harbor area from the top is a wonderful feeling. Before climbing the bridge, you are given a climbing kit and a proper training to use it. You can even practice on the ladder simulators before you actually go onto the bridge.

The Rocks

The Rocks is situated on the foot of the Sydney Harbor Bridge and is a place with a historical significance in Sydney. This is the oldest and the most happening place in Sydney with lots of pubs, restaurants, and markets built on the narrow cobblestone streets. Walk on the George Street from the Circular Quay to get to this place. Enjoy the live music played at various pubs at the Rocks. When at the Rocks, visit the Cadman's cottage which is the oldest building (around 200 years old) of Sydney. Also, do visit the Puppet cottage which is an interesting place for kids. Enjoy the weekend markets and shop for the craziest things available.   

 Taronga Zoo

Taronga zoo features Australia's native and exotic species like koalas, kangaroos and girraffes. The zoo is located along the harbor and the walks in the twisted trails of the zoo give you stunning views of the harbor. To reach the zoo, you can take a direct ferry from the Circular Quay. It is very well organized and the animals can be seen quite easily inside the enclosures. During specific hours, you can even feed the animals. The zoo is open every day of the year from 9.30 am in the morning.

Delhi is the capital and the most rocking place in India. This is the place where the parliament of India and the President's house is located. Delhi is a city of historic forts, monuments and temples. There are various places to visit in India.

Places to See in Delhi

Red Fort

Red Fort, also known as Lal Quila, is an ancient monument in Delhi which was constructed by the Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan. The fort was built on the banks of river Yamuna. It was designated as the UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007. The famous market of Chandni Chowk is built around the Red Fort. Every year, Prime Minister of India addresses the nation from this fort.

Entry to the Red Fort is through the Lahore Gate. When you enter the fort, you first land on to the royal market known as the Chhatta Market. The Chhatta market leads you to the Nawabarkhana where the royal band used to play 5 times a day during the Mughal rule.

You can visit the Diwan-e-Aam which was the hall of public audience and was fully built of red sandstone. Then there was another hall known as Diwan-e-Khas whcih was the hall of private audience. The famous Peacock throne of Shah Jahan used to be housed in this hall only.

Humayun's Tomb

Humayun's Tomb is also a mughal monument and a world heritage site. The tomb is a unique example of mughal and persian architecture. It was built under the supervision of Hamida Begum, the wife of Humayun. Later, after the death of Hamida BEgum, her body was also buried here. The building is constructed with a combination of red sandstone and white marble. The gardens around the monument are a great place for picnics.

India Gate

India Gate is situated in the heart of Dehi and is considered as the National Monument of India. It is also known as the All India War Memorial. India Gate also houses the flame of immortal soldiers known as Amar Jawan Jyoti, in remembrance of the Indian soldiers who lost their lives during the war with Pakistan in 1971. The lush green lawns around India gate are a great place for picnics during summer evenings.

Lotus Temple

Lotus or the Bahai temple is a famous temple in Delhi. It is so called because of its shape which is in the form of lotus flower. Bahai (the symbol of peace and purity) faith believes in oneness of religion and oneness of God and hence it is open for people of all religions. The temple has 27 open petals made of marble. It took 10 years to complete this temple and almost 800 workers, engineers and artisans worked on it to give its desired shape.

There is a big central hall in temple with 9 doors where people can meditate.

Akshardham Temple

Akshardham temple is the most enchanted tourist attraction in Delhi. It is situated on the banks of river Yamuna and is built on area of around 100 acres. One should definitely visit this temple to know about India and its culture. The temple has also been listed in the Guinness Book of World Records. Tourists visiting the temple can attend various exhibitions that feature the life of lord Swaminarayan and history of India.