UPSC 2017 (SOLVED MAP LOCATION)

1. Thumba is a suburb of Thiruvananthapuram city, capital of , . Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) had a small beginning at Thumba, a coastal village at Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala on the south west coast of India, in 1962. Thumba was a unique choice because of its proximity to the geomagnetic equator. The Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launch Station (TERLS) was established in 1962 for this purpose under UN sponsorship. Apart from Indian payload, sounding rockets from many other countries (including United States, Russia, Japan, France, Germany) were also launched from Thumba, as part of mutual international collaboration.

2. Nayachar Located at the confluence of Hooghly and Haldi River in Purba Medinipur, Nayachar Island is an excellent eco-tourism destination. It is located within 10 km off the biosphere reserve which is one of the worlds richest in terms of biodiversity. The 47 sq km area is largely inhabited by fishermen. Nayachar has mangrove swamp, casuarinas and coconut plantation and parts are covered by wild grass. It is also native to the king Cobra and various endangered butterflies. The water around the island is also native to the endangered Gangetic Dolphins. As per records Nayachar Island is one of the recently formed islands in the world. It is a flat island with the raised soil surface of about 1.5 m above the sea. Island has typical high tides and ecology similar to the Sundarbans.

3. is the highest mountain in the Nilgiri Hills at 2,637 metres (8,650 feet). There is a reserved forest area around the peak. It is 9 km from , on the Ooty- Road in the of , India. It is a popular tourist attraction with road access to the summit. It is the fourth highest peak in next to , Mannamalai and Meesapulimala. The area surrounding Doddabetta is mostly forested. cover the hollows of its slopes. Slightly stunted, rhododendron trees, in the midst of thick coarse grass, flowering sub-alpine shrubs and herbs are common, even very near the peak.

4. Devasthal is an observatory in the district of Nainital in Uttarakhand state of India. The literal meaning of the place is "abode of god". The observatory is situated in the Western Himalayan region at an altitude of 2450 meters. Devasthal peak is an emerging optical astronomical site for Indian telescopes. Currently, a 130-cm optical telescope is working at the site. The sites are managed by the Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES), Nainital. The site has already received a 360-cm telescope and a 400- cm liquid mirror telescope which was completed in year 2014. A survey for installing solar telescope is also being carried out near the peak. The place is well equipped with guest house, canteen, internet connection, water and electric supply since 2008. 5. Pangong Tso Tibetan for "high grassland lake", also referred to as Pangong Lake, is an endorheic lake in the situated at a height of about 4,350 m (14,270 ft). It is 134 km (83 mi) long and extends from India to China. Approximately 60% of the length of the lake lies in China. The lake is 5 km (3.1 mi) wide at its broadest point. All together it covers 604 km2. During winter the lake freezes completely, despite being saline water. It is not a part of basin area and geographically a separate land locked river basin. The lake is in the process of being identified under the Ramsar Convention as a wetland of international importance. This will be the first trans-boundary wetland in under the convention. The brackish water of the lake has very low micro- vegetation. There are some species of scrub and perennial herbs that grow in the marshes around the lake. The lake acts as an important breeding ground for a variety of birds including a number of migratory birds. During summer, the Bar-headed goose and

Brahmini ducks are commonly seen here. The region around the lake supports a number of species of wildlife including the kiang and the Marmot. 6. Hampi is situated on the banks of the Tungabhadra River in the eastern part of central near the state border with Andhra Pradesh. 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. Hampi ruins are spread over 4,100 hectares (16 sq mi) and 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". 7. Havelock island is a picturesque natural paradise with beautiful white sandy beaches, rich coral reefs and lush green forest. It is one of the populated islands in the Andaman group with an area of 113 sq. km. and is located 39 km of north-east of Port Blair. This island, with beautiful sandy beaches fringed with green canopy of the rain-fed forests beckons everyone to enjoy the frolic and fun at the azure sea. Havelock is one of the few places that the administration of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands union territory of India has permitted and encouraged development of tourism, with a focus on promoting eco-tourism. 8. The Luni is also known as the Lavanaravi or Lavanavati, which means "salt river" in Sanskrit, due high salinity of its water. It originates in the Pushkar valley of the , near Ajmer, passes through the southeastern portion of the , and ends in the marshy lands of in , after travelling a distance of 495 km. It is first known as Sagarmati, then after passing Govindgarh, it meets its tributary , which originates from Pushkar Lake, and from then on it gets its name Luni. In 1892, Maharaja Jaswant Singh of Jodhpur constructed Jaswant Sagar in Pichiyak village between Bilara and Bhavi of Jodhpur district. It is one of the largest artificial lakes in India, and irrigates more than 12,000 acres (49 km2).

9. Daringibadi is a hill station in Odisha state of eastern India. It is widely known as "Kashmir of Odisha", situated at a height of 915 m in Kandhmal district,the place has pine jungles, gardens and beautiful valleys. Daringbadi is set in a beautiful spot surrounded by thick rain forests with wild animals, and is a popular summer resort. During the British rule, there was a british officer named Dering who had discovered this place and named it by his own name as Deringbadi, badi stands for village. Located in the tribal dominated Kandhamal district, Daringbadi has many natural green valleys and most importantly the snow fall is popularly called as the ‘Kashmir of Odisha’. Here the dews turns into ice at the night. Surrounded by thick rain forests, wild animals, 10. Dudhsagar Falls (literally Sea of Milk ) is a four-tiered waterfall located on the in the border of the Indian state of Goaand Karnataka. It is 60 km from by

road and is located on the Madgaon-Belgavi rail route about 46 km east of Madgaon and 80 km south of Belgavi. Dudhsagar Falls is amongst India's tallest waterfalls with a height of 310 m (1017 feet) and an average width of 30 metres (100 feet). The falls is located in the Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary and Mollem National Park among the . The waterfall forms the border between Karnataka and states. The area is surrounded by a deciduous forests with a rich biodiversity. The falls are not particularly spectacular during the dry season but during the monsoon season however, the falls are fed by rains and form a huge force of water.