Let me be straight with you, fellow traveller: Eluru (spelled Ellore in old records) is a town most people blur past on NH 16 between Vijayawada and Rajahmundry. That is a mistake. It is the headquarters of Eluru district, created on 4 April 2022 out of the old West Godavari and Krishna districts (West Godavari's own headquarters is now Bhimavaram, so any older guide that says otherwise is out of date). The city sits on the Tammileru river, roughly midway between the Krishna and Godavari and about 50 km inland from the Bay of Bengal. It earned the nickname “City of Carpets” for its hand-knotted woollen rugs, and within an hour or so you can reach Kolleru Lake’s wetlands, an ancient Buddhist cave site and the much-loved Dwaraka Tirumala temple, sometimes called Chinna Tirupati. This is a working town of about 2.1 lakh people (2011 census), not a polished tourist hub. Come for the crafts, the history and the food, keep your expectations honest, and you will enjoy it. Here...
Grand Bazaar – Istanbul The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul is one of the oldest and largest covered markets in the world. It dates back to 1461 and still has around 4,000 shops spread across dozens of streets. You can find jewellery, carpets, ceramics, spices, leather goods and many other items here. Walking through the narrow alleys is an experience in itself – the colours, sounds and smells are hard to forget. There are also small cafes and tea houses where you can sit down for a rest and try Turkish coffee or baklava. Whether you come to shop or just to look around, the Grand Bazaar is worth a visit when you are in Istanbul. History The Grand Bazaar was started in the mid-15th century by Sultan Mehmet II, right after the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople. It began as a small covered market for trading textiles and valuables and slowly grew over the centuries into the large complex we see today. Fires a...