tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2716494395832619182024-02-20T14:23:11.473-08:00Pilgrimage India | Pilgrim Tours | Temples In India | India Temple TourismIndia has rich cultural and historical heritage well preserved in its temple architecture and pilgrim sites.aksharahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17693090922136948325noreply@blogger.comBlogger440125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-271649439583261918.post-49516420352425950582014-09-22T00:08:00.001-07:002014-09-22T00:08:55.822-07:00రామాబాణంతో ఏర్పడిన జలధార<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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రంగారెడ్డి జిల్లాలోని తాండూరు మండలం జుంటుపల్లిలో కొలువైన శ్రీరామస్వామి ఆలయం ఎంతో ప్రసిద్ధి చెందింది. సుమారు 600 ఏళ్ల క్రితమే ఈ ఆలయాన్ని నిర్మించినట్లు తెలుస్తోంది. గోల్కొండ నవాబుల కాలంలో కృష్ణవదన్ రావు, శ్యామారావు సోదరులు ఈ దేవాలయాన్ని నిర్మించారు. గండిపేట ప్రాంతానికి చెందిన వీరు జుంటుపల్లి పరిసరాల్లో వైరాగుల వలె పర్యటిస్తున్నారట. ఆ సమయంలో అక్కడ గల కోనేరులో శ్రీరాముని విగ్రహ శిలాఫలకం దొరికిందట. ఆ తర్వాత రాముడు వీరి కలలో ఆలయ నిర్మాణం చేయాలని ఆదేశించాడని ఇక్కడి స్థలపురాణం. <br /><br />అలా ఈ ఆలయ నిర్మాణం జరిగింది. ఇక్కడ గల శ్రీరాముని విగ్రహం నుంచి నిరంతరం నీరు ఉబికి వస్తుంది. గుట్టపై, 400 అడుగుల ఎత్తులో గల విగ్రహం నుంచి నీరు రావడం ఆశ్చర్యం కలిగిస్తుంది. చాలా మంది ఈ రహస్యాన్ని పరిశోధించేందుకు ప్రయత్నించినా ఆ విషయం తెలియలేదు. మానవునికి అంతుచిక్కని మహిమలు నేటికీ ఎన్నో వున్నాయని అంగీకరించవలసిందే.<br />ఈ ప్రాంతంలో ఉన్న మరో గుట్టపై ఏడాది పొడుగునా నీరు ఉండే చోటు వుంది. ఈ నీటి దొన గురించి ఓ కథ ప్రచారంలో వుంది. శ్రీ సీతారాములు వనవాస కాలంలో ఈ ప్రాంతానికి వచ్చారని, అప్పుడు కొండ పై భాగాన వున్నప్పుడూ వారికి నీరు కావలసి వచ్చిందని, ఆ సమయంలో రాముడు ఆ బండరాతిపై బాణాన్ని ప్రయోగించి, శిలను చీల్చి నీటిని రప్పించాడని చెబుతుంటారు. అలాగే ఇక్కడే సీతమ్మ దొన కూడా వుంది. ఈ రెండిటినీ కలిపి గాడిదొనలు అంటారు. ఈ నీటిలో స్నానం చేయటం వలన దోషాలు తొలుగుతాయని భక్తుల నమ్మకం. <br /><br />ఆలయంలో ఏటా నిర్వహించే జాతరలో వేలాదిగా భక్తులు పాల్గొంటారు. సమీపంలోనే భీమా నది ఉపనది అయిన కగ్నా నదిపై జుంటుపల్లి నీటి పారుదల ప్రాజెక్టు కూడా ఉంది. చుట్టుపక్క ప్రాంతాల ప్రజలు, విద్యార్థులు సెలవు దినాల్లో ఇక్కడికి విహారానికి వస్తుంటారు.<br /></div>
aksharahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17693090922136948325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-271649439583261918.post-74278539626670305882014-09-22T00:01:00.001-07:002014-09-22T00:01:46.927-07:00 శీర్షాసునుడై శివుడు కొలువైన ఆలయం<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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శీర్షాసనంలో మహాశివుడు అదీ సతీ, పుత్ర సమేతుడైన ఆలయం శక్తీశ్వర ఆలయం. ఇలాంటి ఆలయం మరొకటి ఎక్కడా వుండి వుండకపోవచ్చు. స్వయంభువుడిగా శివుడు వెలసిన శక్తీశ్వర ఆలయం పశ్చిమ గోదావరి జిల్లా భీమవరానికి 4 కి.మీ. దూరంలో గల యనమదుర్రు గ్రామంలో కలదు.<br /><br /><b> ఈ శివాలయం ఎంతో ప్రత్యేకమైంది..</b><br /><br /> శివాలయాలలో స్వామి లింగరూపంలో దర్శనమిస్తాడు. కానీ శక్తీశ్వరాలయంలో మాత్రం శివుడు పార్వతీ సమేతుడై, ఒడిలో కుమారస్వామితో విగ్రహ రూపంలో దర్శనమిస్తాడు. ఇది ఈ ఆలయానికున్న ప్రత్యేకత. శివపార్వతులు వెలసిన పీఠం ఏకపీఠం కావడం ఒక విశేషమైనతే, ఇదంతా ఒక పెద్ద శిలగా భూగర్భంలో నుంచి చొచ్చుకుని వుండడం మరొక అద్భుతం. శక్తీశ్వరుడు ఈ ఆలయంలో శీర్షాశనంలో తపోనిష్టుడై ఉండడం మరో మహాద్భుతం. జటాఝూటం, నొసట విభూతి రేఖలు, నాగాభరణము స్వామి వారి విగ్రహంలో స్పష్టంగా కనపడతాయి.<br /><b><br />స్థల పురాణం</b><br />శంబరుడనే రాక్షసుని సంహరించేందుకు యముడు శివున్ని ప్రార్థించాడు. ఆ సమయంలో శివుడు యోగముద్రలో ఉండండతో పార్వతీ అమ్మవారు తన శక్తిని వరంగా అనుగ్రహించి యముడి బలాన్ని గొప్పగా పెంచింది. ఆ శక్తితో యముడు శంబరుణ్ని సంహరించాడు. యమధర్మరాజు కోరిక మేరకు శీర్షాసన స్థితిలో ఉన్న శివుడు అమ్మవారితో సహా ఈ క్షేత్రమునందు వెలిశాడు అనీ చరిత్రం.<br /><br /><b>శక్తిగుండం ప్రత్యేకత</b><br />ఈ ఆలయానికి తూర్పువైపున శక్తి గుండం అనే చెరువు వుంది. కాశీలోని గంగ అంతర్వాహినిగా ప్రవహించి ఈ చెరువులో కలుస్తుందని భక్తుల విశ్వాసం. ఈ చెరువు తవ్వకాలలో సర్పం ఆకారంలో ఉన్న ఆరు అడుగుల శిల ఒకటి బయటపడింది. ఈ శిలను సుబ్రహ్మణ్యేశ్వరునిగా భావించి ఆలయంలో ప్రతిష్ఠించి, ఆనాటి నుంచి పూజాదికాలు నిర్వహిస్తున్నారు. ఈ శక్తి గుండంలోని నీటితోనే స్వామి వారికి అభిషేకాలు, పూజలు నిర్వహిస్తారు. పూర్వం ఒకసారి ఈ చెరువును శుభ్రపరిచే క్రమంలో ఈ నీటిని వాడడం ఆపి, ఆ సమయంలో స్వామి వారి నైవేద్యానికి సమీపంలోని మరొక చెరువు నుంచి నీటిని తెచ్చి ప్రసాదం తయారు చేయడానికి ప్రయత్నించగా అది ఎంతకీ ఉడకలేదు. అప్పుడు శక్తి గుండంలోనే చిన్న గొయ్యిని తవ్వి, ఆ నీటితో ప్రసాదం తయారు చేయగా వెంటనే ఉడికింది. అప్పటి నుంచి ఇప్పటివరకూ స్వామి వారికి శక్తి గుండంలోని నీటినే ఉపయోగిస్తారు. </div>
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దేవ, దానవులు క్షీరసాగరం మథిస్తూంటే.,అమృతం పుట్టింది. ఆ అమృతాన్ని ఎలా పంచుకోవాలా.. అన్న విషయంమీద దేవ, దానవులు ఘర్షణకు దిగారు. అప్పుడు శ్రీమహావిష్ణువు జగన్మోహినీ రూపందాల్చి వారిరువురి మధ్యకు వయ్యారంగా వచ్చి నిలబడ్డాడు. మనసును మెలిబెట్టి, మరులను రగిలించే, మన్మథశరంలాంటి ఆ సుందరాంగి వొంపు సొంపుల తళతళలకు దానవులు తబ్బిబ్భై..కనురెప్పలు కూడా వేయడం మరచి, గుటకలువేస్తూ నిలబడిపోయారు. జగన్మోహిని తన సౌందర్యంతో దానవుల కళ్లకు విందులు చేస్తూ.., అమృతాన్ని దేవతలకు పంచిపెట్టి మాయమైంది.<br />
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ఈ విషయాన్ని కలహభోజనుడైన నారదుడు పరమశివుని చెవిలో ఊదాడు. అప్పుడు పరమశివుడు ‘మనోనిగ్రహం లేని మీవంటివారు విష్ణుమాయా విలాసానికి లోనౌతారుగానీ నావంటి విరాగిని ఎలాంటి సౌందర్యము వంచించలేదు’ అన్నాడు. అంతటితో ఆగక పరమశివుడు విష్ణువును కలిసి ‘నీ జగన్మోహన రూపాన్ని చూపించు’ అని అడిగాడు. పరమేశ్వరుడు అడిగితే పరంథాముడు కాదనగలడా. మరల జగన్మోహిని రూపం దాల్చాడు. విశ్వాన్ని సైతం వివశతకు గురిచేసే ఆ అసాధారణ సౌందర్య ప్రభలు చూసి.. విరాగి, శ్మశాన సంచారి అయిన పరమశివుడు శృంగార రసావేశానికి లోనై..తనను తానే మరచి ఆ జగన్మోహిని వెంటబడ్డాడు. జగన్మోహిని శివుని చేతికి చిక్కక..చిరునవ్వుల జల్లులు చిలకరిస్తూ పరుగులు తీస్తూ భూలోకం వచ్చి ఆగి శిలారూపం దాల్చింది. అదే తూర్పుగోదావరి జిల్లాలో కొత్తపేటకు పది మైళ్ల దూరంలో గల ‘ర్యాలి’ అనే గ్రామంలో ఉన్న ‘జగన్మోహినీ కేశవస్వామి’ దేవాలయం.<br />
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పూర్వం ‘ర్యాలి’ ప్రాంతమంతా దట్టమైన అడవులతో నిండి ఉండేది. ఆ చుట్టుప్రక్కల ప్రాంతాలను ‘ఘంటచోళుడు’ అనే చక్రవర్తి పరిపాలిస్తూండేవాడు. ఒకసారి ‘ఘంటచోళుడు’ వేటకని ఆ అరణ్యాలకు వచ్చి, చాలాసేపు వేటాడి, అలిసిపోయి ఒక చెట్టునీడన విశ్రమించాడు. ఎందరో భక్తులు హరిసంకీర్తన చేస్తున్న ధ్వనులు వినిపించాయి. చక్రవర్తి కన్నులు తెరిచి చూసాడు. ఎవరూ కనిపించలేదు. ఆశ్చర్యపోయిన ‘ఘంటచోళుడు’ వేట చాలించి రాజథానికి వచ్చాడు. ఆ రాత్రి ‘ఘంటచోళుని’ కలలో శ్రీ మహావిష్ణువు కనిపించి ‘రాజా..ఒక రథం సిద్ధం చేయించి నీ రాజ్యంలో నడిపించు. ఆ రథం శీల ఎక్కడ ఊడి పడుతుందో అక్కడ నా విగ్రహం కనిపిస్తుంది. ఆ విగ్రహానికి అక్కడే గుడి కట్టించి ప్రతిష్ఠించు. నీ జన్మ ధన్యమౌతుంది’ అని ఆదేశించాడు. నిద్రనుంచి మేల్కొన్న మహారాజు మరునాడు తన స్వప్న వృత్తాంతాన్ని రాజగురువులకు చెప్పి, వారి ఆదేశంతో రథాన్ని నడిపించాడు. ఒకచోట శీల ఊడిపడింది. అక్కడ తవ్వించగా ‘జగన్మోహిని’ విగ్రహం బయటపడింది. మహారాజు ఆ శిల్పాన్ని చూసి ఆశ్చర్యపోయాడు. ఆ విగ్రహానికి ఒకప్రక్కన శ్రీ మహావిష్ణువు ఆకృతి ఉంటే... మరొకప్రక్క జగన్మోహిని ఆకృతి ఉంది. స్త్రీ పుంభావ రూపంతో దొరికిన ఆ విగ్రహానికి అక్కడే ఆలయం నిర్మించి ప్రతిష్ఠ చేయించాడు ‘ఘంటచోళ చక్రవర్తి’. ఆ తరువాతి కాలంలో ఆ ఆలయం ఎంతగానో అభివృద్ధి చెందింది. అదే ప్రస్తుతం ‘ర్యాలి’ గ్రామంలోనున్న ‘జగన్మోహిని కేశవస్వామి’ దేవాలయం. <br />
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ఈ ఆలయానికి ఎదురుగా ఒక శివాలయం కూడా ఉంది. అదే.. నాడు జగన్మోహిని వెంట పరుగులు తీస్తూవచ్చిన పరమశివుని ఆలయం. ఆ స్వామిని ‘ఉమాకమండలీశ్వరుడు’ అని అంటారు. శిల్పకళాచార్యుల ప్రతిభకు ప్రత్యక్ష నిదర్శనం ‘జగన్మోహినీ కేశవస్వామి’ దేవాలయం. సుమారు ఐదడుగుల ఎత్తు ఉన్న నల్లటిశిలలో నయన మనోహరంగా ఉండే ‘కేశవస్వామి’ ఒకప్రక్క..భక్తుల హృదయాలను దోచుకునే రూపంతో ‘జగన్మోహిని’గా మరొకప్రక్క.. అందరినీ ఆకర్షించే ఆ నల్లని ఏకశిలా మూలవిరాట్టులో.., భక్తుని ప్రతిబింబం చక్కగా కనిపిస్తుంది. ఇదే ఆ సుందర,సుకుమార ‘జగన్మోహినీ కేశవస్వామి’ శిల్పకళా వైభవ ప్రత్యేకత. అంతేకాదు.. పద్మినీజాతి స్త్రీకి వెనుకవైపున సహజంగా ఉండే పుట్టుమచ్చ ఈ ‘జగన్మోహిని’ శిల్పానికి వెనుక భాగంలో ఉండి, భక్తులకు చక్కగా కనబడడం ఈ శిల్పం ప్రత్యేకత. విశ్వసృష్టికి మూలభూతమైన స్త్రీ, పుంసాత్మకమైన ఈ ‘జగన్మోహిని’కి మన ఆంధ్రదేశంలో తప్ప ఈ ప్రపంచంలో మరెక్కడ దేవాలయం లేదు. ఈ ‘జగన్మోహిని’ శిరో భూషణాలు, శరీర అలంకారాలు, ముఖ సౌందర్యం వర్ణనాతీతం. ఇక ‘కేశవస్వామి’ అరచేతిలోని రేఖలు, కంఠసీమ మీది మడతలు.,నాలుగు చేతులలోని శంఖ,, చక్ర, గదా, పద్మాలు ఆనాటి శిల్పుల కళాచాతుర్యానికి తార్కాణాలు. ఆ ‘కేశవస్వామి’ పాద పద్మాలనుంచి నిరంతరం ఉద్భవించు ‘జలం’ భక్తులను ఎంతగానో ఆకర్షిస్తుంది.. ఆశ్చర్యానికి గురిచేస్తుంది. ఆ స్వామి పాదోద్భవ జలాన్ని భక్తులకు తీర్థంగా ఇస్తారు. పండుగల్లోను, పర్వదినాల్లోను ఈ స్వామికి ప్రత్యేక పూజలు, ఉత్సవాలు జరుగుతాయి. ఈ మూర్తి సౌందర్యాన్ని ప్రత్యక్షంగా దర్శించి తీరాలి. అలా చూడలేనివారు కళ్లుండి కూడా గ్రుడ్డివారే .. అని నిస్సందేహంగా చెప్పవచ్చు.</div>
aksharahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17693090922136948325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-271649439583261918.post-51328945679692626252013-12-08T22:02:00.001-08:002013-12-08T22:02:02.961-08:00Hayagriva Madhava Temple in Hajo(Gauhati) Assam <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFqA5toqVNsUYcMgwHjswITNIEHZ5pF2ZzhbTCmA4TjVbHhyZ-_xaFRLo-JXVVO5QDn-UuD2bMEOXEm-Bv6HqIcFs70DdfYH74DU7fMRkAA33Z-e2Va4bdRaF5fpj4ghH-PLgiO-zfS-R3/s1600/Hayagriva+Madhab+Temple,+Assam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFqA5toqVNsUYcMgwHjswITNIEHZ5pF2ZzhbTCmA4TjVbHhyZ-_xaFRLo-JXVVO5QDn-UuD2bMEOXEm-Bv6HqIcFs70DdfYH74DU7fMRkAA33Z-e2Va4bdRaF5fpj4ghH-PLgiO-zfS-R3/s320/Hayagriva+Madhab+Temple,+Assam.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div>
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<b> Location:</b> Manikuta Hill, Hajo,Assam<br /><b>Built in</b>: 6th century(1583 AD)<br /><b>Built By</b>:King Raghu deva Narayan<br /><b>Dedicated to:</b>Hayagriva incarnation of Lord Vishnu<br /><b>Entry</b>: free<br /><b>Photography</b>: Allow<br /><b>Temple Timing:</b> 6:00Am to 9:00Pm<br /><b>Visiting Timing:</b>30 Mins<br /><b>Best time to Visit</b>:All time<br /><b>Nearest Railway Station</b>: Guwahati<br /><b>Nearest Air Port:</b> Guwahati <br /><br />Around 30 km to west of Guwahati, in the town of Hajo, is situated one of the most sacred pilgrimage spot in Assam - Hayagriva Madhava Temple. Highly revered by the Hindus as well as the Buddhists, the temple enshrines an image of Lord Vishnu, which resembles the image of Lord Jagannath at Puri (Orissa). The temple is also considered as a major pilgrimage spot by Buddhist Lamas and Bhutiyas who follow Buddhism. They believe that Lord Buddha acquired Nirvana or Moksha in this place and that the image inside the temple is that of the Lord.<br /><br />Hayagriva Madhava Temple, located on a hill called Manikuta, is dedicated to Lord ishnu. Hayagriva (Vishnu with a horse head) is one of the incarnations of Lord Vishnu. Legend has it that once, two demons, Madhu and Kaitabha, took away the Vedas from Lord Brahma, while He was on the lotus. Upset and offended by this, Brahma awoke Lord Vishnu while He was sleeping and requested for the recovery of the Vedas. It was then that the Lord assumed the form of Hayagriva, went to Rasatala (where the demons had kept the Vedas), recovered them and gave them back to Brahma.<br /><br />After recovering the Vedas, Lord Vishnu went to the north-east corner of the great sea and slept in His Hayagriva form. While he was sleeping, the demons came back and challenged the Lord to a fight. A big war commenced and the demons were finally killed by the Lord. According to another legend, Hayagriva was the name of the demon that stole the Vedas from Brahma and was finally killed by Vishnu. However, the first legends find much more popularity than the latter.<br /><br />Legend has it that during the process of creation, the demons Madhu and Kaitabha stole the Vedas from Bhramha and Vishnu took the Hayagriva form to recover the Vedas from the demons. Another legend has it that during the process of creation, Vishnu compiled the Vedas in the Hayagriva form and that the Hayagriva Avatara precedes the Matsya Avatara wherein he recovered the stolen Vedas from the demons Madhu and Kaitabha.<br /><br /><b>How to Rich Hayagriva Madhava Temple </b><br /><br />By Air: The nearest airport is Guwahati.<br /><br />By Rail: The nearest railhead is situated at Guwahati.<br /><br />By Road: Guwahati is well connected with regular bus services from all the major cities in and around the state.<br /><br /></div>
aksharahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17693090922136948325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-271649439583261918.post-84582297792312298202013-12-08T21:54:00.000-08:002013-12-08T21:54:35.417-08:00Ananthapura Lake Temple, Kasaragod<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Ananthapura Lake Temple is one of the important places of worship on a remote rocky hill in a peaceful isolated region in Karasaragod district located at a distance of 18 Km from Kasargod town (towards north).<br /><br />Ananthapura Lake Temple, KasargodAnanthapura Lake Temple is very old temple and it belongs to the 9th century. The temple is dedicated to Lord Ananthapadmanabha swamy (Lord Vishnu). The uniqueness is that, this is the only lake temple in Kerala. The temple affords a bird's eye view of the green landscape around. The sanctum sanctorum is surrounded by a rectangular lake measuring 302 feet square (about 2 acres).<br /><br />Another main attraction of the temple is that the original idols in the Garbhagriha were not made of metal or stone, but of a unique mixture of more than 70 medicinal materials called 'Kadu-Sharkara-Yogam.' These idols were replaced by panchaloha metals in the year 1972, efforts are made now to replace the idols made with 'Kadu-Sharkara-Yogam.'<br /><br />As per the legend, Ananthapura Lake Temple is the original seat of Ananthapadmanabha Swamy of Thiruvananthapuram. The presiding deity, Lord Ananthapadmanabha is seated on the serpent god Adisesha. Local belief is that the lord had settled down here originally.<br /><br />The temple is open to all visitors irrespective of caste, creed, and color.<br /><br />The Ananthapura Lake Temple is surrounded by a 'Chuttambalam' (an enclosed verandah running around the building), the walls are decorated by paintings and there is a cave within that opens out to a small tank where the water level remains stable regardless of climatic changes.<br /><br /><b>Divine Crocodile at the Temple</b><br /><br />Ananthapura Lake Temple is guarded by a divine crocodile. The name of the crocodile is Babia. It is believed that Babia is the local guard and messenger of the temple. It is also believed that Babia, the crocodile is living in the pond for more than 60 years and lives in a nearby cave.<br /><br />After the worship of Lord Ananthapadmanabha, the feed given by devotees is given to Babia at noon. The food is a kind of gruel made of rice and jaggery and is fed like an elephant by putting to its mouth. Babia eats only the food offered by the temple management.<br /><br />This divine crocodile is vegetarian and does not harm anyone, not even the fish in the lake. There is a miracle in this temple. Only one crocodile lives in the lake at a time. When one crocodile dies, another one appears in the lake.<br /><br /><br /><span style="background-color: magenta;"><b>Distance from Ananthapura Lake Temple, Kasaragod </b></span> <br /><br />Kasargod: 18 Km<br />Mangalore: 47 Km (Karnataka)<br />Kozhikode: 202 Km<br />Wayanad: 224 Km<br />Thrissur: 328 Km<br />Ernakulam: 392 Km<br />Kochi: 408 Km<br />Kumarakom: 453 Km<br />Alappuzha: 453 Km<br />Kottayam: 463 Km<br />Idukki: 469 Km<br />Kuttanad: 471 Km<br />Munnar: 476 Km<br />Kollam: 540 Km<br />Thiruvananthapuram: 602 Km<br />Kovalam: 610 Km<br /><br /><span style="background-color: cyan;"><b>How to Reach </b></span><br />
<br /><b>Taxi </b>: Local taxis are also available at cheap rates varying from Cars,Jeeps,Tourist buses.<br /><br /><b>BUS</b> : Kasargod is well connected to other towns of the state as well as India by Motorable roads. Private and KSRTC Buses are available, local bus service system is cheap serving passengers at Rs 6 per km.<br /><br /><b>Train</b> : Kasargod Railway Station connects the city with other major cities of the state.<br /><br /><b>Air </b>: Mangalore International Airport in Karnataka is the nearest airport, situated at a distance of 50 km from the Kasargod.<br /><br /><b>Others</b> : Autorickshaw : This is cheap way of transportation facility between attractions and have the minimum fare of Rs 15 and Rs 5 addidtion to every kilometers.<br /><br /><b>Things to Carry</b><br /><br /> Carry items such as camera, binoculars, sun glasses, medical kit, emergency lights. Carry your own food and plenty of water because restaurant is not available near sight.<br /><br /><span style="background-color: #f1c232;"><b>Safety / Warning </b></span> <br /><br /> Use bottled water, as tap water is not so safe even though it’s purified.<br /> While boating insist on being offered life jackets. Many boat operators ignore Government regulation of statutory issuance of life jackets while boating, which could prove risky, as most of the Kerala’s water bodies are deep.<br /> While in trains or buses, do not interact with lone strangers, or at least not more than normal, and it’s absolutely important not to eat or drink anything which they offer. However, interactions with families are considered to be safer.<br /><br /><span style="background-color: orange;"><b>Helpline </b></span><br /><br /> Police Control Room, Kasargod : 100/ 04994-222960.<br /> Kasargod Fire Station : 0497-2706900<br /> Arimala Hospital & Trauma Centre Kottachery, Kanhangad Kazaragod : 04994-2702260<br /></div>
aksharahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17693090922136948325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-271649439583261918.post-44930896507683637342013-12-08T21:46:00.001-08:002013-12-08T21:46:21.188-08:00Ulaganlantha Perumal Temple<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Ulagalandha Perumal Temple, or Thiru Ooragam is a temple dedicated to Vishnu located in Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the 108 Divya Desam Temples, revered by the azhwars, Hindu poet saints of the 7th-10th century. This Divyadesam is found in Big Kanchipuram and is closely situated near to Sri Kamakshi Amman Temple.<br /><br /> <span style="background-color: lime;"><b>History of Ulahalanda Perumal Temple : </b></span><br /><br />The legend says that Mahabali, a worshipper of Vishnu has started harassing the ‘Devas’, with the help of his acquired powers. Lord Vishnu then worked out a humble scheme to make things right, where he took the form of ‘Vamana’ and forced Mahabali to not harass the Devas anymore. This manifestation of Lord Vishnu is worshipped as the Ulahalanda Perumal at the Ulahalanda Perumal temple in Kancheepuram.<br /><br /><br />This temple is very near to the bus-stand in a lane proceeding north. The temple faces west. Though Ulakalanda Perumal is a Main deity. Adi-seshan is honored here in three modes. The temple itself is called Uragan. The tank opposite the temple is called Naga Tirtham (Snake pond). As the God revealed himself to Adi-seshan, this place got the name of Uragam.<br /><br />In the sanctum, Trivikraman is standing in a huge size with his left leg raised aloft to indicate that his one step has measured the sky. Two fingers in the left hand are pointing that two steps are over. The image is in stucco and hence does not receive water oblations, but periodically a special ointment is smeared over it. The image has only two hands, the right exhibiting Tarjani mudra and the left extended as far as the stretched leg. Vishnu has ordinarily three poses. Sitting (Asana), Recumbent (Sayana) and Standing (Sthanaka). In Kanchi itself one can see all the poses – sitting in Pandavaperumal coil, sayana in Yatodkari and standing here.<br />The interior is very dark and the priest raises a pole with a lighted torch in the end. One should strain their eyes to study the details. The goddess is Amutavalli. In the prakara of this temple are housed the Nirakan, Karakan and Karvanan shrines. Thirumangai Alvar and Thirumazhisai Alvar has praised this deity in hymns. Adisesha who has attained prominence here is in a front cell called Anantalvar. Sweets are offered to him during worship. Nirakam is where the God facing east gave darshan to sage Akrura in standing pose. Nilamangai Thayar is the goddess.<br /><br />Karakam is the place where the God Karunakara Perumal facing south in a standing pose gave darshan to sage Niketanar, Padmamani Thayar is the goddess. A very interesting thing to note is that Parimelazhagar who wrote a commentary for Thiruvalluvar’s Thirukkural was the priest of this temple. <br /><br /></div>
aksharahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17693090922136948325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-271649439583261918.post-76283960035026575492013-12-08T21:39:00.000-08:002013-12-08T21:39:06.445-08:00Ananta Vasudeva Temple in Bhubaneshwar<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Ananta Vasudeva Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Krishna, an avatar of Lord Vishnu located in Bhubaneswar, the state capital of Odisha, India. The temple was constructed in the thirteenth century, and the complete murties of Krishna, Balarama and Subhadra are worshipped there. Balarama stands under a seven hooded serpent, Subhadra holds Jewels pot and lotus in her two hands keping her left foot over another jewel pot, while Krishna holds a mace, chakra, lotus and a conch. The temple dates back to the period of Chandrika Devi, the daughter of Anangabhima III, during the reign of the king Bhanudeva.<br />
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It appears that the original image of Vishnu was worshipped on the spot where the great temple of Ananta Vasudeva was built in the 13th century A.D.Thus in 13th century, Queen Chandrika of Eastern Ganga dynasty was prompted to construct a new temple - the temple of Anata Vasudeva in this place. There must have been an old temple where this Vishnu image was installed. The Marathas, who extended their empire up to river Mahanadi, were responsible for renovating the Vishnu temple at Bhubaneswar in late 17th Century.<br />
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Significance of the Temple<br />This is the only important Vaishnava temple standing at Bhubaneswar. The deities installed in the sanctum are Krishna, Balarama and Subhadra. Balarama stands under a seven hooded serpent, while Krishna holds a mace and a conch. Krishna being an avatara of Vishnu, so this temple is basically a Vaishnavite temple. The western side of the Ananta Vasudeva temple lies near the bank of Bindu Sagar Lake. Every year thousands of pilgrims visit this place to pay homage to the Lords. The major festival of this temple is Janmastami.<br /><br />Vishnu is one of the deities in the Hindu trinity who is worshipped as the protector and preserver of the world and restorer of ‘dharma’ (moral order).Vishnu is known chiefly through his avatars (incarnations). In theory Lord Vishnu manifests a portion of himself anytime he is needed to fight evil, and his appearances are innumerable; but in practice, ten incarnations are most commonly recognized.<br />The sculpture on the outer facade of the Anant Vasudev temple in Bhubaneswar, represents his boar incarnation “Varaha”. At the end of the last deluge in the last Kalpa or age, Bhoomi Devi (Mother Earth) sank to the bottom of the ocean. Then Lord Vishnu, taking the form of a large boar, dived into the ocean and carried the goddess out of the ocean supported by his two tusks and his massive snout.<br /><br /><span style="background-color: yellow;"><b>Other places to Visit </b></span><br /><b> </b><br />
<b>Lingaraj Temple </b><br />
Lingaraj Temple is the biggest temple in Bhubaneswar which is dedicated to Lord Shiva. According to archaeological experts, the temple is one of the foremost heritage sites of the east.<br />
<br /><b>Mukteswara Temple</b><br />Mukteswara temple is considered to be the main specimen of Orissan architecture where the sculpture and architecture are in complete harmony with each another. The temple rises up to a height of 35 feet and is dedicated to Lord Shiva.<br />
<br /><b>Rajarani Temple</b><br />Rajarani temple at Bhubaneswar is also one of the most notable monuments of the place. Dating back to AD 1100, here women are portrayed in a stunning variety of amorous poses and moods reminding one of the<br />
temples of Khajuraho.<br />
<br /><b>Brahmeswar Temple</b><br />Brahmeswar temple is among the earliest temples where iron beams were used in its construction. The Temple is also known as the pancha-ratha temple with five coat plasters that give the structure almost a rounded appearance<br />
<br /><b>Konark Beach</b><br />This is a quiet beach which is about 3-km from the temple.<br />
<br /><b>Udaigiri and Khandagiri Caves</b><br />Udaigiri and Khandagiri caves are one among the famous tourist attractions in Orissa. The most popular ones to mention would be Akshay Ganga, Gupta Ganga, Shyam Kund and Radha Kund.<br />
<br /><b>Ratnagiri</b><br />It is an impressive Buddhist site situated on a small hill and is surrounded by rivers all over. While ascending the hill one can come across wonderful vistas of vast plains with lush greenery.There two large monasteries which includes Sri Ratnagiri Mahavihara Aryabhikshu Sangha which were unearthed during the excavations that were carried out here.<br /><br /><br /><span style="background-color: #f6b26b;"><b>How to reach the Temple </b> </span> <br />
<br />• Through Airways-the city of Bubaneshwar consists of regular Indian Airlines flights to Hyderabad, Nagpur, Calcutta, Delhi, Varanasi, Bombay and Madras. The airport is very close to town. The Indian Airline office is on Raj Path, by the bus stand.<br /><br />• Through Railways -the city of Bhubaneswar is on the main Kolkata to Chennai line so all the main trains stop here. The Howrah-Bangalore is the main line and Guwahati-Bangalore goes to Bangalore. Even the Coromandel Express is a good train going to Chennai. There are also direct trains to Delhi, Agra, Remuna, and Varanasi. The Rajdhani Express departs from Delhi one day a week on Fridays to Bhubaneswar. The Puri-New Delhi Express is a good train to Delhi.<br /><br />• Through Roadways- the best way to get from Bhubaneswar to Puri is on one of the Canter minibuses that leave from the old bus station in the center of town, the new bus stand.</div>
aksharahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17693090922136948325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-271649439583261918.post-77535419268066544962013-06-24T22:52:00.000-07:002013-06-24T22:52:51.000-07:00Tourism in Uttarakhand<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiomrEEcsVMeFqwjSSiRc1XSaiOlI-FUCh1tpznPledbKCBynAWn1f6BzzAlM46-Cs22QiCEzLRl9gejDiI2-PeZd2j4mmljDUMyMi0lVt4YXhYnt0zqI6ChgTd1B8eGVelFWJ2G7vqh7IB/s1600/Tungnath+Temple%252C+Chamoli%252C+Uttarakhand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiomrEEcsVMeFqwjSSiRc1XSaiOlI-FUCh1tpznPledbKCBynAWn1f6BzzAlM46-Cs22QiCEzLRl9gejDiI2-PeZd2j4mmljDUMyMi0lVt4YXhYnt0zqI6ChgTd1B8eGVelFWJ2G7vqh7IB/s320/Tungnath+Temple%252C+Chamoli%252C+Uttarakhand.jpg" width="320" /></a>Uttaranchal - the land of gods, the home of Himalayas and truly a paradise on earth, allures everyone from everywhere. The fresh air, the pure water, the chilling snow, the adversing mountains, the scenic beauty, the small villages, the simpler people and a tougher lifesytle is what that distinguishes Uttaranchal from rest of the world.<br />
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Also known as Dev Bhumi, Uttaranchal is a boon for the pilgrim tourists. The Maha Kumba Mela, the Char Dham Yatra and the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra give Uttaranchal an international recognisance. The major pilgrim places include Haridwar, Rishikesh, Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri, Yamunotri, Devprayag, Nandadevi and Purnagiri.<br />
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Uttaranchal is a paradise for nature lover's and adventure sports enthusiasts. Mussoorie, the 'Queen of Hills'; Nainital, the 'Lake District'; Kausani, the 'Switzerland of India'; Ranikhet, Pithoragarh, Pauri and Munsyari are just few highlights for the nature lovers. For adventure and excitement, one may choose Mountaineering (Bhagirathi, Chowkhamba, Nanda Devi, Kamet, Pindari, Sahastrataal, Milam, Kafni, Khatling, Gaumukh), Trekking, Skiing (Auli, Dayara Bugyal, Munsyari, Mundali), Skating, Water Sports like rafting, boating and angling and Aero Sports like Hand Gliding, Paragliding (Pithoragarh, Jolly Grant, Pauri).<br />
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The State is also a treasure house of exotic flora and fauna and is an ideal location for eco-tourism, as well as wildlife tourism. The world-famous Jim Corbett National Park is the pride of Uttaranchal. Other important sanctuaries are, Rajaji National Park, Govind Wildlife Sanctuary, Asan Barrage, Chilla etc.<br />
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Last but not the least, the rich cultural traditions and the cool and invigorating climate of Uttaranchal sums up for a perfect holiday destination to relax and unwind. <br />
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Dev Bhoomi Uttarakhand is blessed with such a natural beauty that you must once visit or you will miss something in life. Himalayan ranges, the sacred rivers, lakes, natural forests, wildlife, geographical diversity, own cultural significance, religious well-being have made Uttarakhand the heaven on earth.<br />
<b><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Glaciers</span></b><br />
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Uttarakhand abounds a number of spectacular Glaciers at a very high altitudes which is one of the main attractions amongst tourists. These glaciers are perfect destinations of enthusiastic adventure loving trekkers both from India and abroad. While some glaciers are considered Holy and sacred by Hindu, other are visited for their Sheer beauty and serenity. There are as many as 917 glaciers in Uttarakhand. Out of these 238 Glaciers found in Bhagirathi, 326 in Alaknanda, 264 in Kaliganga and 50 in Yamuna region. IN whole of Himalaya there are 46298 Glaciers which are spared in any area of 59406 Sq. Km.<br />
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The Glaciers in uttarakhand source some of the most important river system of India. While the river Ganga has its origin in the melt waters of Gangotri Glacier, the melt water of Yamunotri Glaciers feed the headstream of river Yamuna. The biggest Glaciers of uttarakhand is Gangotri Glaciers which is receding and a rate of 17 Meter annually and already receded many Km. in last few years. While there are hundreds of Glaciers forming in amongst the snow capped regions of Himalayas, only few of them are significant from tourism point of view. Such as<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: #ffd966;"><b>Glaciers in Uttarakhand</b></span></span><br />
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1. <b>Milam Glacier </b>:Milam is one of the largest and major Glacier in the Kumaon region. height of 4250 meters above the sea level.It is spread over 37 sq kms and is approximately 27 km long.<br />
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2. <b>Doonagiri Glacier</b> : 5.5 km long Doongiri Glacier extending at a height of 5150 mtrs to 4240 mtrs forms Dhauli Ganga.<br />
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3. <b>Chorabari Glacier</b> : A glacier at a height of 3800 metre. Chorabari Glacier starts from its accumulation zone ( 6000 mtrs) and terminates at 3800 mtrs<br />
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4. <b>Maikoti Glacier</b> :To the west of the Pindari Glacier, situated on the southern slope of the Sunderdhunga Khal, is the 5 km long Maiktoli Glacier.<br />
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5. <b>Kaphini Glacier</b> :Kafni is situated left of Pindar Valley, below the famous peak of Nandkot and to the southeast of Nanda Devi peak.Kafni glacier gives rise to river Kafni which is a tributary of river Pindar.<br />
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6. <b>Gangotri Glacier</b> : Gangotri Glacier originates at a height of 7,100 mts above the sea level. The glacier lies within a span of 28 kms and terminates at Gaumukh which is at 3892 mts.<br />
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7. <b>Namik Glacier</b> : The glacier is surrounded by peaks like Nanda Devi (7,848 m), Nanda Kot (6,861 m), and Trishuli (7,120 m).The glacier falls on ancient Indo-Tibet trade route.<br />
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8. <b>Pindari Glaciers</b> : Pindari Glacier is in Bageshwar district (Kumaon) at an altitude Variation of 3,600m to 5,000m.It occupies an area of 339.39-sq-kms.<br />
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9. <b>Nandadevi Glacier</b> :<br />
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10. <b>Khatling Glacier </b>: surrounded by snow capped peaks of Jogin group (6646 mts.), Sphetic Pristwar (6905 mts.), Barte Kauter (6579 mts.), Kirti Stambh (6902 mts.) and Meru.<br />
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11. <b>Ralam Glacier</b> :This magnificent glacier is situated at an elevation of 2, 290 meters above the sea level near Ralam Dhura at Ralam Khal in pithoragarh district.<br />
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12. <b>Sunderdhunga Glacier</b> : The elevation of the Sunderdungs glacier spans from 3200 mtrs to 6050 mtrs.<br />
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13. <b>Dokriani Glacier</b> : A glacier at a height of 3800 metre. 5 km long Dokriani Glacier flows in the northwest direction, originating from northern slope of Draupadi – ka – Danda and Jaonli Peak.<br />
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14. <b>Tiprabamak Glacier</b> : Tiprabamak glacier is in Garhwal Region. It’s the 6-km long glacier, the longest Glacier Of Bhyundar Ganga Basin.<br />
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15.<b> Bander Punchh Glacier</b> : A glacier at a height of 4442 metre. Banderpoonch Glacier is 12 km long and located at the northen slopes of Banderpoonch Peak, Banderpoonch west and khatling peak.<br />
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16. <b>Satopnath and Bhagirathi-Khark Glacier</b> :These glaciers are 13 and 18 km long respectively and terminate at an elevation of 3810 m and 3820 m, respectively.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: cyan;"><b>Tourism in Uttarakhand</b></span></span><br />
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urism is flourishing in Dev Bhoomi Uttarakhand, the land well equipped with all kinds of beauties and significance to attract visitors around the globe. Internal and international tourism is growing day by day. Besides the growing number of tourists, Uttarakhand is as clean and beautiful as ever.<br />
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Dev Bhoomi Uttarakhand is unbeatable for religious tourism. May to October, the land of God is visited by the pilgrims around the globe. Char Dham of Uttarakhand – Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath are the major destinations of devotees. But devotees also visit other pilgrimages like Panch Badri, Panch Kedar, Panch Prayag and Hem Kund Sahib around Uttarakhand. There are Hindu temples and Buddhist monasteries scattered densely around Uttarakhand making it Dev Bhoomi.<br />
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Uttarakhand has enough space for those who will to trek through the mountains and forests. The trekking routes lead to glaciers, temples, lakes, waterfalls and towns. Trekking, camping, rafting, skiing, mountaineering, rock climbing are the major activities that adventurer tourists choose for recreation in Uttarakhand. The hills in the north of Uttarakhand are covered with snow during the winter which provides boundless opportunities for tourists to refresh. Auli, Mundali, Dayara Bugyal, Munsyari are some of the skiing destinations of sports lovers.<br />
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Students and researchers are attracted by the diverse varieties of flora and fauna and natural habitat of Uttarakhand. Herbs and variety of species of wildlife make Dev Bhoomi richer. National Parks and wildlife sanctuaries have protected many endangered species of animals and opened a vast research area for botanists, zoologists, ornithologists and ecologists. Some of the must visit places parks and sanctuaries are Valley of Flowers National Park, Jim Corbett National Park, Assan Barrage Bird Sanctuary, Aranyam Eco and Herbal Park, Jhilmil Tal Conservation Reserves.<br />
Nature lovers fall in love with the lakes, hills, rivers, forests and mesmerizing beauty of Uttarakhand. What would be more fascinating than witnessing the nature to full length?<br />
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<b>Some of the major trekking destinations are:</b><br />
<b> Adi Kailash,<br /> Auli,<br /> Barkot,<br /> Bedni Ali Bugyal,<br /> Bhojbasa,<br /> Chandrashila,<br /> Chopta,<br /> Dayara Bugyal,<br /> Deoria Tal,<br /> Dodital,<br /> Gandhi Sarovar,<br /> Gangnani,<br /> Ghangaria,<br /> Ghuttu,<br /> Govind Wildlife Sanctuary,<br /> Govindghat,<br /> Hanuman Chatti,<br /> Har Ki Doon,<br /> Hemkund Sahib,<br /> Kalpeshwar,<br /> Kedar Tal,<br /> Kedarnath,<br /> Madhyamaheshwar,<br /> Milam Glacier,<br /> Mori,<br /> Munsyari,<br /> Nanda Devi National Park,<br /> Roopkund,<br /> Rudranath,<br /> Sunderdhunga Glacier,<br /> Tunganath,<br /> Valley of Flowers National Park,<br /> Yamunotri.</b><br />
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<span style="background-color: magenta;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Piligrimage in Uttarakhand</b></span></span><br />
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Char Dham of Uttarakhand are believed to open gateway to heaven for the pilgrims. Taking dip in the Har-ki-pauri (steps of lord Shiva), entering through Haridwar (gateway to lord Vishnu), reaching to the Kedarnath(temple of lord Shiva) and Badrinath (temple of lord Vishnu) is a lifetime desire of every Hindu devotee. While in a pilgrimage tour, Panch Kedar (five forms of lord Shiva), Panch Badri (five forms of lord Vishnu), Panch Prayag (five confluences of sacred Ganga), Hemkund Sahib, Haridwar and Ganga ghats, Rishikesh are some of the places you won’t want to miss not just as they are in route but what they hold is not elsewhere.<br />
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Sacred water of Yamuna from Yamunotri and Ganga from Gangotri are taken home by Char Dham pilgrims. Water of these sacred rivers is used in all sacred functions of Hindu families. The route traditional pilgrims follow is Haridwar – Rishikesh – Devprayag – New Tehri – Chamba – Dharasu – Barkot – Hanumanchhatti – Janakichhatti – Yamunotri. Gangotri is the second of Char Dhams, you will have to get back from Dharasu and go to Uttarkashi and pass through Harsil – Bharavghatti – Gangroti. After finishing the rituals (if you have any) and endorsing yourself in the serene beauty of Gangotri, you should get back to Uttarkashi then follow through new Tehri – Tilwara – Guptakashi – Gaurikund and finally you reach Kedarnath, the third of Char Dham. Here too, you get back to Guptakashi, make way to Ukhimath – Gopeshwar – Chamoli – Joshimath – Govindghat – Hanumanchhatti and finally reach Badrinath, the last of four Dhams of Uttarakhand.<br />
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The return journey route is Badrinath – Joshimath – Chamoli – Karnaprayag – Rudraprayag – Srinagar – Rishikesh – Haridwar.<br />
This route follows the Hindu ritual of Parikrama (circumference) but Rishikesh – Devprayag – Srinagar – Rudraprayag – Augustyamuni – Guptakashi – Gaurikund – Kedarnath could be an alternative route that you can follow if you want to skip Yamunotri and Gangotri.<br />
<b>Uttarakhand is a huge blessed shrine endowed with uncountable pilgrimages, some more names are here:</b><br />
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<b> Adi Badri,<br /> Adi Kailash,<br /> Almora,<br /> Baijnath,<br /> Dwarahat,<br /> Gangnani,<br /> Gangolihat,<br /> Ghangaria,<br /> Hemkund Sahib,<br /> Jageshwar,<br /> Kalpeshwar,<br /> Madhyamaheshwar,<br /> Nanakmatta,<br /> Nandprayag,<br /> Patal Bhuvaneshwar,<br /> Pinar Kaliyar Sharif,<br /> Rudranath,<br /> Tungnath,<br /> Vishnuprayag.</b><br />
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<span style="background-color: lime;"><b>Panch Prayag</b></span><br />
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Prayag in English means confluence. Confluences are considered sacred in Hinduism where people take bath before worship, Shraddha (the last rites for the departed ancestors) and the worship of river itself. There are five sacred confluences widely known as Panch (five) Prayag in Garhwal Himalayas of Uttarakhand namely Vishnuprayag, Nandprayag, Karnaprayag, Rudraprayag and Devprayag.<br />
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River Ganga, when fell to earth to wipe away the ashes of King Bhagirath’s ancestors, divided into 12 streams to make it easier for earth to endure her force. Panch Prayag are the places where five different streams of Ganga confluence at five different places one after another. Alakhananda meets Dhauli Ganga at Vishnuprayag, then she meets Nandakini river and creates Nandprayag. She now moves to form Karnaprayag uniting with Pindar river, then goes to meet Mandakini river and forms Rudraprayag and finally mixes with Bhagirathi river and forms the last of five prayags, Devprayag.<br />
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Large religious towns have developed, named after the confluences- Devprayag, Rudraprayag, Karnaprayag and Nandprayag, as thousands of pilgrims come every year to the pilgrimages with faith and devotion. There is no town at Vishnuprayag, the nearest town is Joshimath, itself a famous religious spot.<br />
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<span style="background-color: yellow;"><b>Nandprayag</b></span><br />
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The confluences of the Alaknanda and Nandakini rivers forms Nand Prayag at 914 mts. Trekkers are often seen here on their way to Tapovan across Kunwari pass, or on their way to Roopkund. This beautiful spot is a major tourist point.<br />
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It is said that the confluence is named for the pious Raja Nanda who had performed a huge fire purification ceremony here. According to one legend, the king had been granted to Devaki, the imprisoned sister of the tyrant king Kansa. Ultimately, the gods found an ingenuous if wily solution: Vishnu would be born as Krishna to Devaki but would be brought up by Nanda’s wife, yashoda.<br />
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<span style="background-color: yellow;"><b>Devprayag</b></span><br />
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Deoprayag is a spiritual metaphor, a beautiful showcase of traditions, myths and mysticism. Here the holy rivers Bhagirathi and Alaknanda meet, making it a unique confluence alike the Triveni of Allahabad.<br />
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From here the two rivers merge into one and becomes the “Ganga”.<br />
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Deoprayag is not situated at a great height, just at the altitude of 618mts from the sea level, but it’s endowed with abundant natural beauty.<br />
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According to belief, Lord rama and his father King Dashratha did penance here. The main temple is “Rudranath Temple”, dedicated to Lord Rama.<br />
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<b>ACCESSIBILITY :</b><br />
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List Tick Deoprayag is at a distance of 70kms from Rishikesh.<br />
List Tick The nearest airport is Jolly Grant at Dehradun, 90kms.<br />
List Tick The nearest railhead is Rishikesh, 70kms.<br />
List Tick By road, Deoprayag is well connected with Rishikesh and other parts of the garhwal Himalayas.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #f1c232;"><b>Vishnuprayag</b></span><br />
Formed by the confluences of the impetuous Vishnu Ganga (known, after this point, as the Alaknanda) and the Dhauliganga rivers, Vishnu Prayag , 1,372 m. has an ancienttemple here by a pool called Vishukund. It is said that the sage Narada worshipped Vishnu at this sanctified spot, and the Lord, pleased with his austerities, had given him his blessings.<br />
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Visitors are find the Kagbhusandi lake bewitching with its emerald green depths giving it a still surface, while on the banks, blossoms evoke the colors of nature in all her glory. The lake can be approached from either Bhundar village near Ghangaria or from Vishnu Prayag.<br />
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<b>ACCESSIBILITY :</b><br />
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Nearest Airport : Jolly Grant 284 Km.<br />
Nearest Rail : Rishikesh 268 Km.<br />
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<b>PLACES NEAR BY :</b><br />
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* Badrinath<br />
* Auli<br />
* Nandprayag<br />
* Vishnu Hydro Electric Project<br />
* Valley of Flowers<br />
* Hemkund Sahib “The Holy place of Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji”<br />
* Hanuman Chatti<br />
* Kagbhushandi Lake<br />
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<b>RIVERS:</b><br />
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* Alaknanda River<br />
* Dhauliganga River<br />
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<span style="background-color: #ffd966;"><b>Rudraprayag</b></span><br />
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Rudraprayag, at the confluence of the holy rivers Alaknanda and Mandakini is named after Lord Shiva. According to “Puranas”, the divine messenger Narada meditated here, to appease his lord. Lord Shiva appeared in his “Rudra” (violent) incarnation to bless him. It’s the very place where Sati, the wife of Shiva was reborn after self immolation at her father’s place. The centre point of the town is the ancient temple of Rudranath (Shiva).<br />
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<b>ACCESSIBILITY :</b><br />
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The nearest airport is Jolly Grant at a distance of 158 kms. The nearest railhead is Rishikesh, 142 kms. Nearest major town is Srinagar.<br />
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Being at the crossroads of Kedarnath (84 kms.) and Badrinath (159 kms.), Rudraprayag is easily accessible by roads. All the important places of the Garhwal region are connected with the town, through buses.<br />
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<b>PLACES NEAR BY:</b><br />
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* Guptakashi<br />
* Sonprayag<br />
* Agastyamuni<br />
* Tungnath<br />
* Madhyamaheshwar<br />
* Syalsaur<br />
* Dhargi Devi<br />
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<b>TEMPLES NEAR BY:</b><br />
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* Rudranathji Temple<br />
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<span style="background-color: #ffd966;"><b>FAMOUS FOR RUDRANATH TEMPLE:</b></span><br />
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Rudraprayag is situated on the confluence of the rivers Mandakini and Alaknanda. It is home to the Rudranath Temple that is dedicated to Shiva. Near the temple is the place where Narada, an ancient Indian sage reputed to be the inventor of the veena, a musical instrument, is believed to have meditated.<br />
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<b>RIVERS:</b><br />
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* Alaknanda<br />
* Mandakini<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: #38761d;"><b><span style="background-color: #f4cccc;"></span>Panch Kedar</b></span></span></div>
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Panch Kedar refers to the five temples of Lord Shiva popularly known as Kedarnath, Madhyamaheshwar, Tungnath, Rudranath and Kalpeshwar. According to the legend, The temple finds its mention from the times of Mahabharata. It is said that when the five Pandava brothers were asked to seek Shiva’s blessings, purging them off sin of fratricide, or killing their cousin brothers in the terrifying bettle of Kurukshetra. Lord Shiva eluded them repeatedly and while fleeing took refuge at Kedarnath in the form of a Bull. On being followed, he dived into the ground, leaving behind his hump on the surface. His body got divided into parts, which fell at different places. At Kedarnath, his hump was left and is worshipped as the idol in the shrine. The remaining portions of Lord Shiva are worshipped at four other places – Arms (Bahu) at Tungnath,Face (Mukh) at Rudranath,Navel (Nabhi) at Madmaheshwar,Hair (Jata) at Kalpeshwar.Together with Kedarnath, these places are known as the Panch Kedar Five Abode of lord Shiva.<br />
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<b>1. KedarNaath<br /><br />2.Madhyamaheshwar<br /><br />3. TungNaath<br /><br />4. RudraNaath<br /><br />5. Kalpeshwar</b><br />
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<span style="background-color: #ffd966;"><b>Kedarnath</b></span>:The temple of Kedarnath (3583 m) shows its first glimpse after a trek of about 500 meters on one the most scenic locations of the Uttarakhand Himalayas. The toddler Mandakini finds her way out from the womb of the massive glacier behind Kedarnath. The temple is “one of the twelve Jyotirlinga of lord Shiva” and is the northernmost located shrine out of the Chaar Dhaam of Uttarakhand. An interesting belief leads to such logic for the distance.<br />
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According to the legends, the Pandavas of the great epic Mahabharat went to Shiva for emancipation from of the curse of killing their kinsmen and the Kauravas in the Great War. Lord Shiva was not very amused with the deeds of the Pandavas so in order to avoid them the lord escaped from Uttarkashi to Guptkashi in the guise of a bull but when the Pandavas identified the lord from the flock of cattle He escaped further and ducked Himself to the ground as the gigantic Bhim of the five Pandavas was about to catch hold of the bull disguised lord. Only the hump of the lord remained on the ground, where the temple stands, whereas his torso appeared at Pashupatinath in Kathmandu, Nepal. The other portions, namely face, hair coils, arms and navel appeared at Rudranath, Kalpeshwar, Tungnath and Madhyamaheshwar respectively. These shrines, including Kedarnath, are known as Panch Kedar or the five abodes of lord Shiva. The grey stone Kedarnath temple architecture reflects Katyuri style which is ceiled with wood topped by a gold kalash. The temple houses one sanctum sanctorum where a conical rock formation, the hump of the bull, is worshipped as lord Shiva and Gangajal carried from Gangotri is offered to Him. The Darshan Mandap is guarded by an idol of Nandi, the lord’s ride, and a large idol guards the temple from outside. The Sabha Mandap is adorned by the idols of Ganesh with Riddhi and Siddhi, Parvati, Laxmi and Vishnu, Krishna, Kunti, Yudhistir, Bhim, Arjun, Nakul, Sahdev, Draupadi and idols depicting Hindu mythology. Adiguru Shankaracharya came to the temple from Kerala with his followers in order to revive Hinduism in the country as Emperor Ashoka was overlapping it with Buddhism through his Dhamma Yatra. Adiguru attained Parinirvana near the temple at the age of 32 and ever since then his followers, who are Veera Shaiva from kerala, has been the Rawals or the chief priests of the temple who have settled in Ukhimath and Guptkashi. Puja is performed in the morning and in the evening after which Bhog (holy feast) is given to the pilgrims. The Shravani Annakoot Mela is observed a day before Raksha Bandhan in the month of August when cooked rice is first offered to the Jyotirlinga and then distributed as Bhog. The temple closes down on Yama Dwitiya, two days after Diwali and reopens on Akshaya Tritiya which falls in the last week of April or the first week of May. The winter seat of Kedarnath is the village of Ukhimath and it is a belief that Bhaironnath, whose temple is about 500 meters form the Kedarnath temple, guards the temple vicinity all through winter<br />
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<span style="background-color: #ffd966;"><b>Tungnath:</b></span>The 30km drive from Ukhimath towards gopeshwar ascends through enchanting landscapes perched with the tranquil village of Dugalbita. The vast meadows of Chopta surrounded by thick forest serve as a halting joint for commuters between Ukhimath and Gopeshwar. The numerous eating joints enthrall with the tempting aroma of Jakhya fried Rajma and Culath. Chopta is the beginning point for the trek to the temple Tungnath. There is one GMVN guest house and some private tented accommodations available near at Chopta.<br />
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Tungnath is one of the Panch Kedar (five abode of Lord Shiva), where the lord’s arms appeared after He plunged Himself inside the earth following a pacification chase from the Pandavas to which the lord was unwilling as the Pandavas were guilty of killing their kinsmen in the great war of Mahabharat. Geographically, Tungnath (3660m) is the highest of all the Panch Kedars but at the same time it is the easiest to access through within comparatively very less time. It takes only 2 to 3 hours to cover 3km to the temple. The first short half on the wide path goes through mixed forest of Oak and Rhododendron which inhabits more than 76 species of exotic Himalayan birds. The Bandarpoonch peak and the Kedar massif showcase their impressive appearance on the west. Gradually, the dense forest gives way to the meadows and grass cushioned slopes which are the domain of rare Himalayan herbs. The varied wild flowers and berries are a visual and fragrant delight during monsoon. A research center for aromatic plants lies en route. A cup of hot noodles or noodles at the on route snack joint is an experience in itself. As the path broadens, a Ganesh temple on a rock signifies the religious importance of the area and act as the entrance to the abode of the almighty Shiva. The corridor housing eating joints and night shelters leads to the courtyard where the granite stone temple of Tungnath stands. A stone Nandi, the lord’s bull, guards the temple outside and the interiors are embellished with the idols of the Pandavas and Adiguru Shankaracharya and a black stone Shivalinga, which is worshiped as the arm of the lord, stands in the middle of the sanctum. Other temples in the vicinity are those of Parvati and Vyas. Most people return to Chopta the same day after Darshan as it is only about an hours matter downhill. However, basic accommodation is available at Tungnath and the vast meadow waits for those who intend to camp underneath the milky way over the land of the almighty Shiva.<br />
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Chandrashila Peak : Further north of Tunganath, about 2km, is the meadow known as Chandrashila (4130m) which is the vantage point for the amphitheater of the Alaknanda and Mandakini valleys which are dominated by the peaks like Nanda Devi, Chaukhamba, Kedarnath, Neelkanth, Gangotri and Bandarpoonch.<br />
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The place is divine and ideal for meditation. According to the legends, Chandrama (moon) did a long penance on the peak hence the name. Lord Rama also is said to have meditated at Chandrashila in pacification of Brahma Hatya as he killed Ravana who was a Brahmin.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #ffe599;"><b>Madhyamaheshwar</b></span>:Madhyamaheshwar (Second abode of lord Shiva)<br />
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The trek to Madhyamaheshwar goes through some of the most enchanting terrains of Uttarakhand. The motor-able road stretches up till the village of Ransi from where onwards gradual and easy ascend leads to the meadow where the temple of Madhyamaheswar (3289m) stands midst the mixed individual oaks, rhododendron and birch often flaunt by the only sound and sight of the melodious and colorful monal pheasant, the state bird of Uttarakhand.<br />
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Madhyamaheshwar is one of the Panch Kedar (five abodes of Shiva) of Uttarakhand ideally situated. A tiny shrine, more of a stone pile, seems very ancient just a couple of 100 meters above where a black Shivling is evidently one of the oldest in the vicinity known as Budha (old) Madhyamaheshwar. According to the legends, lord Shiva was annoyed with the Pandavas of the epic Mahabharata as they killed theirs kinsmen in the Great War and the lord shunned the five brothers and their consort Draupadi when they reached Himalayas to seek amnesty from the Him. The lord disguised himself as a bull and lunged inside the earth at Kedarnath. It is believed that at Madhyamaheshwar the lord’s navel reappeared from beneath the earth thus coining the name as Madhya means middle in Hindi. However, the locals also support the theory of lord of intoxication as Maddh is the Hindi term for it.<br />
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The ancient temple is scenically located amidst a meadow adorned with a tiny settlement where delicious pahari food and cozy shelter makes it a memorable experience gazing the massive Chaukhamba peak (7138m) from any of the windows or just laying anywhere in the gentle cushion of grass of the meadow.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #f1c232;"><b>Rudranath: </b></span><br />
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One among the five of Panch Kedar pilgrimages dedicated to lord Shiva, Rudranath is situated in Chamoli district of Dev Bhoomi Uttarakhand at an altitude of 2,286 meters above the sea level.<br />
The story of formation of Panch Kedar is related to Pandavas of the Hindu holy epic Mahabharata. After the holy war Mahabharata in Kuruchhetra, Pandavas felt guilty about killing their kinsmen and others in the war. They wanted to get rid of the sins committed and so went to lord Shiva for rescue. Lord Shiva didn’t want to meet Pandavas, so he changed himself as bull. When Pandavas realized that lord Shiva has changed his form, they followed the bull. Unwilling to protect Pandavas from their sins, lord Shiva dived into the earth. In this course, his body parts submerged in earth. The place lord Shiva had dived was Kedarnath, his hump remained there and different body parts appeared at different places- hair in Kalpeshwar, navel and stomach in Madhyamaheshwar, face in Rudranath and arms in Tungnath.<br />
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Face of Lord Shiva is worshipped as Nilkantha Mahadev in Rudranath. Angry face of lord Shiva is worshiped as Rudra (Raudra) rup in Hinduism. Irritated and angry lord Shiva had dived into the earth and his angry face had appeared in the place, thus Rudranath. But in Rudranath, lord Shiva’s face has a mask or his Rudra rup and when the priest take off the mask for bathe, you can see the pleasing and charming face of lord Shiva which will provide answers to all your questions of life and you will feel emancipated. The path to Rudranath is tough and dangerous; one needs to have courage and deep desire. If you halt for the night and get up early, you may get chance to see the pleasing Shiva rup and feel blessed throughout your life.<br />
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When you are going to Kedarnath, you will start from Tungnath and reach Rudranath then you go to Madhyamaheshwar, Kalpeshwar is the forth and Kedarnath is the last of Panch Kedar. In the return journey, Rudranath is forth pilgrimage of Panch Kedar.<br />
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Near the Rudranath temple flows the holy Rudraganga popularly known as Vaitarani or Baitarani (the river of salvation in Hinduism which the dead souls must pass through or they won’t be freed). Hindu pilgrims perform Shraddha (last rites of dead ancestors) at Baitarani river. Once you are in Rudranath temple, you can view beautiful Nanda Ghunti, Nanda Devi, Trishul peak, Devasthan and Hathi parvat. There are many sacred water kund (lakes) like Surya-kund, Chandra-kund, Tara-kund, Mana-kund near the Rudranath temple.<br />
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Every year on the day of Rakshyabandhan (tying protective thread on wrist), the full moon day in the Hindu month of Sravan (July-August), an annual fair is celebrated in the temple. Locals attend the fair. Bhattas and Tiwaris of Gopeshwar village, 24km below Rudranath, are the priests of the temple. The best time to visit Rudranath is from April to November. During winter, the symbolic image of lord Shiva is brought to Gopinath temple of Gopeshwar for worship and return journey of the image is celebrated in special manner. the doli yatra (journey) begins from Gopeshwar, passes through Sagar, crosses Lyuti Bugyal and Panar and reach Pitradhar. At Pitradhar, they worship the ancestors. There is temple of Shiva, Parvati and Narayan (Vishnu) at Pitradhar. People keep stone at Pitradhar as house for their ancestors. The yatra continues crossing through Dhalabni Maidan and finally reaching Rudranath. They perform a worship of Vandevi as they believe that the area is protected by Vandevi.<br />
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Rudranath temple has staues of Pandavs, Kunti and Draupadi as well. Devotees take bath at Narad Kund before visiting the temple.<br />
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You will love to plan a trek to Rudranath Temple. The dense forests, beautiful meadows, enthralling springs, lovely peaks will make your tough journey easy and interesting. You will note the journey as a lifetime achievement that nourished your body, mind and soul. The return trek to Panar will be easy and quick. You can also use alternate route- you can walk down to village of Sagar (2000meters) and go to Mandal or Gopeshwar in jeeps. Jeeps are available there in regular intervals.</div>
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<span style="background-color: #ffd966;"><b>Char Dham</b><br /><br /><span style="background-color: white;">P</span></span>ilgrims on the Char Dham pilgrimage of Uttarakhand usually visit Yamunotri and Gangotri and bring back the sacred waters from the origins of the rivers Yamuna and Ganga. The traditional pilgrimages follow the route of Haridwar – Rishikesh – Deo Prayag – New Tehri – Chamba – Dharasu – Barkot – Humanchatti – Jankichatti – Yamunotri – Dharasu – Uttarkashi – Harsil – Bharavghatti – Gangotri – Uttarkashi – New Tehri – Tilwara -Guptkashi – Gaurikund and Kedarnath, then to Badrinath via Guptkashi – Ukhimath – Gopeshwar – Chamoli – Joshimath – Govindghat – Humanchatti – Badrinath. The return journey route will be from Badrinath – Joshimath – Chamoli – Karanprayag – Rudraprayag – Srinagar – Rishikesh – Haridwar. This route is in accordance with the Hindu ritual of parikrama. However a possible alternative is the trail to Kedarnath from Rishikesh is via Deoprayag, Srinagar, Rudraprayag, Augustymuni, Guptkashi and Gaurikund.<br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">The last of the pilgrimage of the four Dhaams of Uttarakhand and the first of the four Dhaams of India, the shrine of Badrinath is seated at 3110 meters on the banks of Alaknanda river which dissects the beautiful valley dominated by the Nar and the Narayan mountains. The colorful intricate pahaari designed temple is nestled in the lap of the Narayan peak while the scenic Neelkanth Mountain guards from behind. Most of the township is inhabited in the lap of the Nar Mountain. The main gate, known as Singhdwar, leads to a Mandapam and the Garbhgriha (sanctum) where the black stone idol of Lord Vishnu is seated in Padmasana, a posture resembling more of the Bhodisatva than that of Vishnu. The idol was taken out from Narad Kund, a pond nearby, by Adiguru Shankaracharya who reinstalled it at the present location. Hinduism was under threat of overlapping by Buddhism when king Ashoka the great was spreading the new religion all over the Indian stretches through his Dhamma Yatra. It was then that Adiguru Shankaracharya went on a revival of Hinduism by establishing for Dhams at the four corner of the country.<br /><br />Besides Badrinath in the north, other three Dhams include Dwarka Dham in the west, Jagannath Dham in the east and Rameshwaram Dham in the south. Other idols in the Badrinath temple are that of Laxmi, Ganesh, Nar, Narayan, Kuber, Uddhav, Garud, Narad and Ghanta Karn. Badrinath owes its name to Badri Van (wilderness of Badri, a berry) as according to the legends, Lord Vishnu himself meditated in the wilderness and his consort Laxmi adopted form of a Badri tree to shade the meditating Lord, hence the name Badrinath meaning the Lord of Badri. As the tradition goes, Kedarnath is to be visited first before the Darshan of Badrinath, therefore, the temple of Adi Kedareshwar stands nearby for those who miss the Darshan of Kedarnath. The Badrinath temple underwent renovations several times owing to heavy snowfall and avalanches. The present temple is estimated around two centuries old. Just outside the temple on the bank of Alaknanda, Brahma Kapal Tirth is the place were devotees offer puja for their ancestors after which, it is believed, that no other shraad puja (worship of the ancestors) is required to perform. A bath in Tapt Kund, the pond of natural hot water stream on the bank of Alaknanda, is simply rejuvenating and is mandatory before every puja. There is provision to prior booking for individual puja during early morning between 4:30 to 6:30 am for which the temple managenment has to be contacted. The priests in the temple, known as Rawal, are the successors of the Namboodiri Brahmins from Kerala who were appointed by the Adiguru Shankaracharya. These Namboodiri Brahmins are assisted by the local Dimri Brahmis of Uttarakhand. The temple timings are 4 am to noon and 3 to 9pm. The temple opens on an auspicious day that falls between the last week of April to the first week of May and closes somewhere in the last week of November. It is believed that the gods, the Yakshsa, the Kinnar and the Naag worship the lord during the winter hush.</span><b> </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><b><br />Gangotri:</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">As the holiest river of India, Ganga has cherish and bonded the Hindu culture and belief since ages and has nurtured the great Indo – gigantic plains with its divine waters and fertile banks. For Indians Ganga is more than just a river and is rather a mother. The banks, ghat and prayag of Ganga has witnessed the maximum religious congregation than anywhere else in the entire country right from underneath the snout of Gaumukh in the greater Himalayas, from where the holy river blissfully emerges, till the point it gels in the waters of the Bay of Bengal covering 2,480 km knitting the bond of purity and holiness among the Indians.<br /><br />Gangotri is the shrine dedicated to Ganga who is worshiped as a deity inside the white stone 20 ft high temple overlooking the vigorously flowing Bhagirathi which becomes Ganga after uniting with Alaknanda at deoprayag. Ganga had descended down to earth from heaven to purify one reason and eventually went on purifying the whole humanity ever since.</span><b><br /><br />Yamunotri:</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">Traditionally the first of the Char-Dham of Uttarakhand, Yamunotri is the iconic source of the holy river Yamuna. However, the actual source of the river is the Champasar glacier near the Saptrishi Kund of the eastern face of the Bandarpoonch peak. In the year 1816 British Army officer and world famous lithographer Sir James Frazer depicted the 3 feet tall temple with a priest performing pooja. Later the temple was rebuilt by the Maharaja of Tehri Sudarshan Shah around the year 1850. The temple was damaged several times owing to heavy snow. It was finally rebuilt by Maharaja Pratap Shah of Tehri with a black stone image of Yamuna and a white marble image of Ganga both worshipped as goddesses. An interesting story leads to the descending of Yamuna on earth. According to the legend, Surya Dev married Vishwakarma’s daughter Sangya but she couldn’t bear the heat of Surya Dev while intimacy for long after giving birth to Yama and Yamuna. She produced her clone Chhaya who could bear the heat owing to her long and dense locks. Sangya asked Chhaya to keep the secret; Chhaya agreed to the condition that nobody ever dishonor her hair. One day Yama accidentally kicked Chhaya while playing; Chhaya cursed Yama of a rotten leg. Surya Dev got furious and grabed Chhaya with her hair and the secret was revealed as chhaya broke down. Yamuna, out of love for his brother, descended down to earth to do penance to bring her brother out of the curse. Yamuna did penance for years and got her brother Yama out of the curse. Yamuna was blessed by her brother Yama, the god of death, with the omen that her devotees would be barred from akalmrityu (untimely death). The convention of Bhai-Dooj came into being ever since then. Hence, it is still a belief that a dip in Yamuna’s holy water would exclude from akalmrityu. There are a few hot water spring around the wooden temple out of which Suryakund is the prime one which was offered by Surya Dev himself to his beloved daughter Yamuna as a help to endeavor the harsh cold environ of the Kalind Parvat, the base of the Yamunotri temple. Pilgrims today boil rice and potato tied in a piece of cloth by dipping in the boiling water which cooks within minutes to serve as Prasad. A black stone slab, Divya Shila, where a hot water spring shoots out is worshipped first of all as the origin of the holy Yamuna. Pilgrims also carry the holy water of Yamuna to offer to lord Krishna as Yamuna was one of the queen’s of the lord. A small stream near the temple is worshipped as Ganga as according to the legends, sage Asit had his humble hermitage near the temple. The sage was such a devotee of both heavenly rivers Yamuna and Ganga that he would walk between the two every day to take divine bath in the holy waters of both. Over the period of time when he couldn’t continue because of old age, it is said that Ganga herself appeared for her devotee near the temple. The temple opens for pilgrims on the auspicious occasion of Akshay Tritiya which fall around the last week of April to the first week of May. The closing down ceremony of the temple follows on Yama Dwitiya or on Bhai-Dooj, the second day of Diwali. The deity is then taken down to the village of Kharsali near Jankichhatti (2576m) the natives of which are the priests of the temple. The temple vicinity is then left by a complete hush with only sound of gently flowing Yamuna dripping from the ice snouts and rumbling through the pebbles.<br /><br /><b>PLACES ROUTE OF YAMUNOTRI</b><br /><br /><b>Barkot </b>: Barkot (1828 m) is an upcoming township and is the last market on the route to Yamunotri. The town is beautifully located amidst buck weed fields, vast valley sliding down to the crystal clear energetically flowing Yamuna and the grand panorama of the distinctively beautiful Bandarpoonch massif. The fields of Barkot are famous for its Rajma, potato, pea, plum, pear, apple, apricot and walnut. From Barkot onwards, the picturesque route cruises against the vibrantly gushing Yamuna.<br /><br /><b>Sayanachatti </b>: The stopovers at the pilgrim route in Uttarakhand are known as Chatti. Sayanachatti (1982 m) is one such small village for night halt on the Yamunotri route 30 km from Barkot. There are few eating joints along the road which also provide shelter for the night for a reasonable price, however, there is one GMVN guest house a little secluded from the roadside.<br /><br /><b>Hanumanchatti :</b> Next stopover en route 5 km from Sayanachatti is Hanumanchatti (2134 m) which had long been the motor road end and the last point for tit-bit shopping. This little hub remains quite busy during pilgrimage and trekking season as it is also the starting point for the round trek to Dharwadhar which leads to Dodital Lake. The Hanumanchatti GMVN guest house is serenely located on the banks of the Yamuna. The road head has now been extended till Jankichatti.<br /><br /><b>Phoolchhatti :</b> A short drive from Hanumanchatti leads through Phoolchatti (2561 m), a nature’s wonder with exotic wild flowers, which is a visual delight during spring through monsoon. A GMVN guest house is perched in tranquility.<br /><br /><b>Jankichatti </b>: Another short drive on tricky route takes to Jankichatti (2567 m) which is the last motor able point. Jankichatti is the busiest chatti in the entire route as the pilgrims have to return the same day from Yamunotri due to the limitations of a night halt shelter. The 6 km trek to the shrine is bliss with gigantic mountains, tall alpine trees, exotic Himalayan flora and the soul strumming sound of the young and playful Yamuna. The route ahead Jankichatti is narrow and quite adventurous. Pony and daandi (palanquin) are available for the easy movers for which a prior booking is advisable.<br /><br /><b>Saptrishi Kund </b>: The actual source of the Yamuna lies on the Kalinda Parvat above the shrine the approach towards which is through a tricky steep climb of about over 1000 meters. The devoted pilgrims take a dip in the Saptrishi Kund before worship at the temple below. The lake vicinity provides an excellent view of the towering mountain ranges and the enchanting meadows.<br /><br />Badrinath<br />Gangotri</span><b><br /><br />Kedarnath</b></span>:</div>
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The temple of Kedarnath (3583m) shows its first glimpse after a trek of about 500 meters on one the most scenic locations of the Uttarakhand Himalayas. The toddler Mandakini finds her way out from the womb of the massive glacier behind Kedarnath. The temple is one of the twelve Jyotirlinga of lord Shiva and is the northernmost located shrine out of the Chaar Dhaam of Uttarakhand.<br />
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An interesting belief leads to such logic for the distance. According to the legends, the Pandavas of the great epic Mahabharat went to Shiva for emancipation from of the curse of killing their kinsmen and the Kauravas in the Great War. Lord Shiva was not very amused with the deeds of the Pandavas so in order to avoid them the lord escaped from Uttarkashi to Guptkashi in the guise of a bull but when the Pandavas identified the lord from the flock of cattle He escaped further and ducked Himself to the ground as the gigantic Bhim of the five Pandavas was about to catch hold of the bull disguised lord. Only the hump of the lord remained on the ground, where the temple stands, whereas his torso appeared at Pashupatinath in Kathmandu, Nepal. The other portions, namely face, hair coils, arms and navel appeared at Rudranath, Kalpeshwar, Tungnath and Madhyamaheshwar respectively. These shrines, including Kedarnath, are known as Panch Kedar or the five abodes of lord Shiva.<br />
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The grey stone Kedarnath temple architecture reflects Katyuri style which is ceiled with wood topped by a gold kalash. The temple houses one sanctum where a conical rock formation, the hump of the bull, is worshiped as lord Shiva and Gangajal carried from Gangotri is offered to Him. The Darshan Mandap is guarded by an idol of Nandi, the lord’s ride, and a large idol guards the temple from outside. The Sabha Mandap is adorned by the idols of Ganesh with Riddhi and Siddhi, Parvati, Laxmi and Vishnu, Krishna, Kunti, Yudhistir, Bhim, Arjun, Nakul, Sahdev, Draupadi and idols depicting Hindu mythology. Adiguru Shankaracharya came to the temple from Kerala with his followers in order to revive Hinduism in the country as Emperor Ashoka was overlapping it with Buddhism through his Dhamma Yatra. Adiguru attained Parinirvana near the temple at the age of 32 and ever since then his followers, who are Veera Shaiva from kerala, has been the Rawals or the chief priests of the temple who have settled in Ukhimath and Guptkashi. Puja is performed in the morning and in the evening after which Bhog (holy feast) is given to the pilgrims. The Shravani Annakoot Mela is observed a day before Raksha Bandhan in the month of August when cooked rice is first offered to the Jyotirlinga and then distributed as Bhog. The temple closes down on Yama Dwitiya, two days after Diwali and reopens on Akshaya Tritiya which falls in the last week of April or the first week of May. The winter seat of Kedarnath is the village of Ukhimath and it is a belief that Bhaironnath, whose temple is about 500 meters form the Kedarnath temple, guards the temple vicinity all through winter.<br />
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Ukhimath : The headquarters of the Rudraprayag district, 5km from Kund, Ukhimath is an ancient dwelling which derives its name from Usha, the daughter of the Demon Banasur. There are ancient temples in the town vicinity dedicated to Shiva, Parvati, Usha, Anirudha and Mandhata. Ukhimath holds a special religious significance hence lord kedarnath is brought down to the temple of Onkareshwar during winter months. The Rawals and priests of Kedarnath are the inhabitants of this humble town.<br />
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<b>PLACES OF KEDARNATH</b><br />
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1) GauriKund<br />
2) Shankaracharya’s Nirvanabhoomi<br />
3) Chorabari lake/Gandhi Sarovar<br />
4) Basukital<br />
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Distance : 275Km Gauri Kund +(14 Km trek from Gauri Kund) Km from Dehradun.</div>
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aksharahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17693090922136948325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-271649439583261918.post-11753721401714170062013-06-20T22:22:00.002-07:002013-06-20T22:22:41.778-07:00Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple - Korukonda<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Located at a distance of 60 kms from Kakinada, 20 kms from Rajahmundry and 110 kms from Amalapuram, is the Korukonda Temple, an ancient and historical temple, a Vaishnava Divya Kshetram, a prominent temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu Avataram. It is called Korukonda `where koru means wish and konda means hill in telugu'. Thus, it is a wishing hill or God who immediately heeds to the wishes of the devotees. The presiding deity here is Lord Sri Narasimha Swamy. Here at Korukonda, the Lord is known as "Satvika Narasimha'', because he is accompanied here by his consort, Lakshmi Devi. There two temples of Lord Sri Narasimha Swamy in this village.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiWw2cRNuaNGmhbt-nlOa1_6UmUrqWYiBPZBNhMM5F5ZJ1i6n0Mc-SWXVDDG3IPYPZvt6OzZQDHc3OyqbS1z1yArJfszNWzHw2ypXm0hab1JcYd-kl1_hgexbKBeYSXpO0nrT8_ocqXUHp/s1600/narasimha+swami.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>One is at the top of a steep and narrow hill adjacent to the village, and the other temple at the foot of the hill Of the two temples, one is a Swayambhu (self originating) and the other one which has been installed. The swayambhuvu is situated at the top of the hill which a pilgrim can access only through a long flight of 650 steps which are very steep and narrow. Because of this steepness, this temple has been called Korukonda.. The Swayambhu deity is situated at about 120 mts height atop the hill. The temple of swayambuvu deity which is atop of the hill measures about 9 inches in height.<br /><br />The temple of the deity which was installed is at the foot of the hill and has much sculpted beauty around it. There are number of shila shasanams (scripted stones) which have appeared at the temple as well as on the top of the hill. The temple was constructed about 700-800 years ago by the family of Parasara Bhattar, whose descendants continue to oversee the affairs of the temple as the trustees of this temple to this day.<br /><br />It is said that the great sage Sri Srinatha in his poetry stated that Korukonda is "Vedadri". And this belief is said to be supported by the shila shasanam inscripted in the year1443 A.D and subsequently found at Lakshmaneswaram Village, Narsapur Taluk, W.G. District.<br /><br /><br /><b>The festivals that are celebrated here are:</b><br /><br />Sri Swamy Vari Kalyana Mahostavam (Phalguna Suddha Ekadasi) (March).<br /><br />Telugu New Years Day (Chaitra Suddha Padyami) (March/April).<br /><br />Sri Ramunjula Vari Thiru Nakshtram (May).<br /><br />Godavari Pushkara Mahostavam (Sravana Masam - Entrance of Guru in Simha Rasi) (July/August once in 12 Years).<br /><br /><br /><b>Sri Vaishnava Krishnastami.</b><br /><br />Navarathri Utsavam (Sri Lakshmi Poojalu) ( Asveeja Suddha Padyami) (October).<br /><br />Dhanurmasa Rituals ( Margasira Masam) (December).<br /><br />Mukkoti Mahostavam (Sudda Ekadasi) (January).<br /><br />Pilgrims who wish to visit this temple have to either stay at Rajahmundry or Kakinada where there are a lot of options for a comfortable stay.<br /><br /><b>CONTACT</b><br /><br />One can contact the temple authorities at:<br /><br />Person-in-Management,<br />Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple,<br />PP.PCO (Post Office)<br />Korukonda,<br />Korukonda Mandal,<br />East Godavari District.<br />Pin 533 289.<br /><br /><br /></div>
aksharahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17693090922136948325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-271649439583261918.post-57894549088727338012013-06-20T22:10:00.001-07:002013-06-20T22:10:45.910-07:00Sri Someswara Swamy Temple<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Kotipalli pilgrimage of the Andhra Pradesh is situated about thirty eight kilometers from the Kakinada & from the Rajahmundry the distance is about forty eight kilometers. This pilgrimage is also located over the Godavari River's bank. This pilgrimage is believed to be a divine religious place; the reason is this pilgrimage temple is very historical shrine, which captures huge numbers of devotees. Kotipalli pilgrimage has been dedicated spiritual place to the great Lord Shiva, but people worshipped as Shri SomeswaraSwami. This ancient holy temple is very much striking shrine, which attracts numbers of pilgrims. The one major festival is celebrated here in large scale that is Maha Shivratri, the festival duration is about 5 days. Around fifty thousand pilgrims come and join in the celebration of the Lord Shiva's festival.<br /><br />The Holy River is very famous for its sacred water it was brought by Gowtham Maharshi. If any person take a bath in these Holy Water of Gowthami at Kotipalli will purify himself from all kinds of sins. It was written in Sri Gowthami Mahatyam. It is also known as Koti Teertha Kshetram as a number of water currents are flowing in these waters. A holy dip in Gowthami waters at this Kshetram is very famous for the removal of sins completely. Here there is no difference between Lord Vishnu and Lord Siva.<br /><br /> Koteswara Lingam is a Yoga Lingam, Someswara Lingam is a Bhoga Lingam. Raja Rajeswari Amma varu is famous for satisfying the wishes of Devotees.<br /><br /> Every day in the early hours Koti Teertham water is brought by Holy Archakas and Abhisekham is done with those waters. In the evening Dhupa Seva and Asthana Pooja, Pavalimpu Seva will be celebrated with devotion. From times of in memorial Devotees are visiting these Holy Kshetram and worshipping the Lords with devotion. Janardhana Swamy Kshetra Palaka is known as Siddhi Janardhana Swamy who grants wishes of the devotees.<br /><br /> Once upon a time it was called as Somaprabhapuram. There is a big water tank in front of the temple which is known as Soma Puskarini. His Holiness Kachi Kama Koti Peethadhipathi and his Holiness Srungeri Jagadguru visited this Holy Kshetram. In the premises of the temple there are 4 Pradakshina Mandapams, in the Northern Mandapam Kalabhairava Swamy temple and Sankaracharya Mandir along with Chandra Mouliswara Lingam, further Navagrapha temple along with Uma Sametha Mruthyunja Lingam are situated for benefit of Devotees.<br /><br /><b>Festivals</b><br /><br />Magha Bahula Chathurdasi (Mahasivarathri) (Feb/Mar).<br />Sri Swami Vari Kalyanam (Vysakha Suddha Ekadasi) (May).<br />Sarannavarathri festival (Aswayuja Suddha Padyami to Dwadasi) (October).<br />Ksheerabdi Dwadasi Teppotsavam during Kartheeka Masam (November).<br />
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every year there are some festivals and events which are celebrated with great pomp and gaiety. They are: Magha Bahula Chaturdashi also known as Maha shivaratri which is celebrated in the month of Feb/Mar, Sri Swami Vari Kalyanam (Visakha Suddha Ekadashi) celebrated in the May, Navarathri festival (Aswayuja Suddha Padyami to Dwadashi) celebrated in the month of October), and Ksheerabdi Dwadashi Teppotsavam during Kartika Masam also known as the month of November.<br /><br /><b>ACCOMMODATION</b><br /><br />As there are no facilities of stays at Kotipalli, one can book their stay at the Irrigation Bungalow and for that one has to contact Controller/ Executive Engineer, Godavari Eastern Division, Dowleswaram. Or one can even stay at Kakinada where there are unlimited options of stays.<br /><br /><b>HOW TO REACH</b><br /><br />Kotipalli is located at a distance of 38 Km from Kakinada, 60 Km from Rajahmundry and can be accessed only by bus which is available quite frequently. It can be accessed through Amalapuram which is 15 Km from Kotipalli and can be accessed via Ferry/Boat.<br /><br /><b>CONTACT</b><br /><br />Executive Officer<br />Sri Someswara Swami Vari Devasthanam,<br />Kotipalli,<br />K.Ganagavaram Mandal (Pamarru Mandal),<br />East Godavari District.<br />Pin: 533 306.<br /></div>
aksharahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17693090922136948325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-271649439583261918.post-60516252630772956982013-06-20T22:02:00.000-07:002013-06-20T22:02:16.697-07:00Saneeswara Temple Mandapalli<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Saneeswara Temple is an small shrine situated at Mandapalli, about 28 km from Rajahmundry, in East Godavari District of Andhra Pradesh. The temple enshrines Saneeswara, Bhrameswara and Nageswara in the form of black stone Shivlingas. Hundreds of pilgrims visit this temple every year.Rajahmundry Railway Station is the nearest major railhead.<br /><br />This Temple Also known as Sri Mandeswara Swami Temple and Someswara Temple, it is said that Saturn himself consecrated the linga representing Lord Shiva here. Other deities here are Bhrameswara and Nageswara enshrined in black stone Shivlingas. There is a shrine to Saturn - Saneeswara. This is a small temple attracting a large number of pilgrims. <br /><br />Legend: A great sage Dhadichi gave a great sacrifice by donating his spinal cord for Lord Indra`s `Vajra` to relieve the people from the tyranny of the demon Kartabha. However, the sons of the demon Aswartha and Pippala vowed revenge and created havoc in Mandapalli. Sage Agastya approached Lord Shaneeswar or Saturn with the request for help but Shani stated that till the prayers and penance was completed, he would not have strength to fight and get rid of the demons. He relented when sages agreed to give their `Tapasshakti` (power of penance) to him. He fought and killed the demons and relieved the people of their tyranny. Saturn installed a `Shiva Linga` known as `Someswara` or `Mandeshwara` to mark his victory, around which the Saneeshwara temple is built.<br /><br />Another legend is sage 'Dhadchi' made a supreme sacrifice in donating his valuable spinal cord for the most powerful weapon known as the "Vajurayudha" of Lord Indra, which was employed by him to kill countless ghostly demons. Saneeshwara TempleThe sons of demon in retaliation to the death of their father 'Kartabha' called 'Aswartha' and 'Pippala' invaded the places of Mandapalli and brought untold miseries to the people living in there. Looking at the miseries of people, all the sages lead by sage Agastya approached Saturn, the son of God Surya who was doing penance to rescue them from ruination in the hands of these two demon brothers.<br /><br />Saturn refused to take up the job of killing the demons until the completion of his prayers to gain enough strength for the destruction, but yielded when the sages who approached him gave their 'Tapasshakti' to accomplish the task 'Shani'. He made up his mind and killed Aswartha and Pippala relieving the sages and other people from the tyranny of the demons engulfed from a long time.<br /><br />People jubilant over the annihilation of these demons praised Saturn in many words and sage Agastya and others showered on him many boons. As a mark of his<br /> <br />glorious victory over the demons Saturn installed a "Shiva Linga" which is known as "Sameswara" or "Mandeshwara".<br />
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Temple Timings<br /><br /><b>Sunday to Friday</b><br /><br />5:00 AM to 12:00 PM - Abhishekams, Darshan & Other Sevas<br /><br />4:00 PM to 8:00 PM - Only Darshan<br /><br /><br /><b>Saturdays</b><br /><br />3:30 AM to 1:00 PM - Abhishekams, Darshan & Other Sevas<br /><br />4:00 PM to 8:00 PM - Only Darshan<br /><br /><br /><b>Sanithrayodasi Festival</b><br /><br />Saturday Morning 1:00 AM to 8:00 PM - Abhishekams, Darshan & Other Sevas<br /><br /><b><br />Sri Mandeswara Swamy Temple Postal Address</b><br />Executive Officer,<br />Sri Mandeswara Swamy Temple,<br />Mandapalli (V),<br />Kothapeta Mandal,<br />East Godavari District.<br />Pin - 533 223<br />Phone No: 08855-243208<br />Cell No: 9491000721\<br /><br /><b>Sri Mandeswara Swamy Temple Festivals</b><br /><br />Kalyanam of Sri Swamivaru (Magha Bahula Ekhadasi) (February/March every year)<br /><br />Devi Navaratrulu (Aswayuja Masam Nine days) (September/October every year)<br /><br />Karthika Masam (November/December every year)<br /><br />Lakshapatri Puja (Karthika Masam) (November/December every year)<br /><br /><br /><b>Sani Trayodasi Festival</b><br /><br />Sir Mandeswara (saneswara) swamy temple, Mandapalli in East Godavari District is famous Siva Temple in Andhra Pradesh. Attracting good number of devoties from all over the country . Sri Swamy varu, was installed by sani(Saturn). Lord Sani atoned the sin of Brahmahatya by installing and adoring Lord Siva . For this reason , Lord Eswara is popularly known as Saneswara or Mandeswara . Abhishekam with Gingelli oil is an unique retualin in the temple. Lord sani declared that whomever worship Sri Mandeswara Swamy with gingelli oil are would be blessed and get free from all Graha Dosams. Hence all devotes can visit Mandapalli to perform abishekhams To swamy varu and get his blessings . Those who are unable to visit Mandapalli may send the required fees by M.O. Or D.D. To the Executive Officer, Sri Mandeswara (Saniswara) Swamy Temple, Mandapalli – 533 233 E.G.Dt. for performing abishekam in their name and gothram . After Performing Abishekam we send Sri Ammavari Kumkum as prasasam by Post. Furnishing full details and address is the most important item.<br />Kalyanam of Sri Swamivaru (Magha Bahula Ekhadasi) (February/March every year)<br /><br />Devi Navaratrulu (Aswayuja Masam Nine days) (September/October every year)<br /><br />Karthika Masam (November/December every year)<br /><br />Lakshapatri Puja (Karthika Masam) (November/December every year)<br /><br />Accommodation in Sri Mandeswara Swamy Temple, Mandapalli<br /><br /><br />Accommodation is available in the temple dormitory.<br /><br />Bathing facilities are available in the temple premises<br /><br /><b>Location:</b> Mandapalli near Rajamundry, East Godavari. Deities: Saneeswara<br /><br /><br /><b>How to Get There Rail</b> : It is about 38-km from Rajamunday Railway Station. Road : Bus facilities are available from Rajamunday. Taxis are also available from here.<br /><br /></div>
aksharahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17693090922136948325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-271649439583261918.post-11250493041333621212013-03-24T23:06:00.004-07:002013-03-24T23:17:21.687-07:00Basavaraja Durga Island <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table border="0" class="mceItemTable" style="height: 100%px; width: 100%px;"><tbody>
<tr><td>The
Island of Basavaraja Durga is about a km from main land off Honnavar.
You can reach the island through boats and small coasters. The landing
place is at the south end where there is a ruined fort with eight
mounted guns. The fort was built by Great Shivappa Naik of Bednur
(1648-1670). The island is mostly level and has plenty of fresh water.<br />
It is situated about 3 kms from Honnavar. The island is famous for its historical Island fort, built during <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD4">the regime</span> of Shivappa Nayaka, king of Keladi dynasty.<b> </b>Honnavar, 90 kms from Karwar, has a laterite fort of Portuguese times. .<br />
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<h3 class="tourism_heading">
History:</h3>
The
first ever historical reference about the Honavar town appears in the
works of the Greek author Periplus (AD 247) and it was called
Naour.[citation needed] It was mentioned as the first port of Limurike
in Tamil country. In the 10th century text Jain Ramayana, the town is
mentioned as Hanuruha Island. References about the town are also
available in the works of Abu al-Fida (A.D.1273-1331), an Arab
Geographer as well as that of Ibn Batuta who described it as the city of
Hinaur. <br />
Honavar or Onore, was a notable seaport of British India, in the North Kanara <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD8">district</span>
of Bombay. It is mentioned as a place of trade as early as the 16th
century, and is associated with two interesting incidents in
Anglo-Indian history. In 1670, the English factors here had a bull-dog
which killed a sacred bull. An enraged mob killed 18 people in
retaliation. In 1784 it was defended for three months by Captain
Torriano and a detachment of sepoys against the army of Tippu Sultan. <br />
Honnavar has also a history of having the name "Honnupura" which might have been a <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD6">major market</span> and export hub for gold and related things. <br />
Honavar,
once was under the ruling of queen Chennabhairadevi of Gerusoppa range, who believed to be defeated
British.<br />
</td></tr>
<tr><td><h3 class="tourism_heading">
Location info:</h3>
</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Address:</b>The Island of Basavaraja Durga is about a km from main land off Honnavar. Honnavar, 90 kms from Karwar</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>District: North Kannada</b></td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Nearest City:Honnavar</b></td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Best time to visit: October To May</b><br />
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<table border="0" class="mceItemTable" style="height: 100%px; width: 100%px;"><tbody>
<tr><td><h3 class="tourism_heading">
How to reach?</h3>
</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Nearest Railway Station:</b>Honavar
has a railway station on Konkan Railway. Honavar Railway Station is
located in Karki, about 5 km from the centre of the town. Konkan
railway's longest bridge is located in Honavar 2.065 km. (on Sharavati
River) and also consists of a 1.75km tunnel.</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Nearest Airport:</b>Nearest airport is Mangalore International Airport. and Panjim International Airport ( Goa )</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Road Transport:</b>There are two National Highways that pass through Honnavar:<br />* NH-17 (Panvel - Edapally): Mumbai, Panjim, Mangalore and Ernakulam can be reached by this road<br />* NH-206 (Tumakuru - Honnavar): Bengaluru, Shivamogga and Tumakuru can be reached by this road. </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr>
<tr><td><h3 class="tourism_heading">
<span style="background-color: #e69138;">Nearest Visiting places:</span></h3>
</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left">Honnavar
has a laterite fort of Portuguese times. A sail upstream on river
Sharavathi to Geresoppa 30 kms away, with coconut groves and lush
greenery covering the banks, is a voyage to remember. <br />Geresoppa, the old capital of the Peter Queen Chanabhairavi has a beautiful <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD12">14th century</span> Chaturmukha Basti. <br />
<b>Near Honnavar</b><br />
St. Xavier Church, Chandavar<br />Murdeshwar<br />Apsara Konda<br />Idagunji<br />Basavaraj Durga Island<br />Karikannamma Temple<br />Higund<br />Gerusoppa<br />Gerusoppa Valley<br />Haduvalli<br />
<b>Basavaraja Durga </b>(7 Kms from Honnavar) Kasarakod (5 Kms) Idagunji (18 Kms)<br />
Connectivity: Nearest bus stop- Kalaginor. (2kms from Honnavar – Bhatkal NH 17).<br />
<b>Murdeshwar</b><br />
16
Kms from Bhatkal to the north on Honnavar-Bhatkal NH 17. The famous
Mahtobara Temple can today boast of the tallest Shiva statue in the
world. The statue has special reflecting eyes, which makes statue alive.
The temple on the beach itself attracts a large number of tourists
because of the sea shore ambience<br />
Nearby places to visit: Netrani Island. 18 Kms from Bhatkal south of Murdeswar.<br />
Connectivity: 16 Kms from Bhatkal on NH<br />
<b>Apsara Konda, Honnavar.</b><br />
8
Kms from Honnavar, near the confluence of the Sharavathi river and the
Sea, there a small water fall and a pool on a hillock, called Apsara
Konda. Legend says that the Apsaras (Heavenly fairies) used to come here
to bathe and relax. The place truly exudes heavenly beauty. There is
Devi temple and a branch of Ramachandra mutt. There are several big
caves on the hillock called ‘Pandavas caves’.With a view of the river,
the sea, lthe islands, l;the lush green fields and coconut groves, the
Apsarkonda hillock verily offers a feast to the eyes that see.<br />
<b>Idagunji:</b><br />
15
Kms from Honnavar and around 23 kms from Murdeswar is the ancient
Idagunji Ganapati Temple. One has to take a detour from National Highway
and <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD4">travel</span> around 7 kms interior
to reach this beautiful temple. The temple is said to be around 800
years old, one of the oldest temples in Uttar Kannada district.<br />
<b>Karikannamma Temple</b><br />
12 Kms from Honnavar is the Karikannamma Hill. Atop the hill which is a piece of <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD1">natural beauty</span> and offers <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD7">panoramic view</span>
of the surroundings, is the temple of the deity. This deity is
worshipped as different goddess by different people as Durge, Saraswati
and Bhairavi. Sunset view on the Arabian sea is a enthralling sight.<br />
<b>Higund Island</b><br />
Higund
is a beautiful island in River Sharavati just before it joins the
Arabian Sea. 3 kms from Honnavar – Bangalore National Highway brings you
along this island. Presently the approach is from either Adkar village
or Kodani village through country boat. The sunset view from this island
is a lifetime experience.<br />
<b>Gerusoppa Valley / Reservoir</b><br />
Newly
constructed Gerusoppa dam has created a unique reservoir in gerusoppa
valley. The breath taking view of the valley can be had from atop a
observation tower constructed by Forest dept, about 10 kms from
Gerusoppa towards Jogfalls. Boat <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD9">cruise in</span> the reservoir <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD10">through the valley</span> is on the anvil.</td></tr>
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</tbody></table>
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aksharahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17693090922136948325noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-271649439583261918.post-84413302474514163612013-03-24T23:05:00.002-07:002013-03-24T23:05:48.658-07:00Murudeshwar Temple Karnataka<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Murudeshwar of Bhatkal taluk in Uttara Kannada district is around 165 km from Mangalore on the National Highway attracting lot of devotees and tourists to the place. This picturesque place situated between Honnavara and Bhatkal. Bounded by the Arabian Sea and rolling hills of Western Ghats, the place is a favorite picnic spot. Probably the finest beach, temple, restaurants, guest houses, resorts & beautiful garden in coastal karnataka and the most popular.<br />
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The sea is an intrinsic part of the temple scape at Murudeshwar. The sea on three sides surrounds the temple towering on the small hill called Kanduka Giri on three sides. Two life-size elephants in concrete stand guard at the steps leading to the temple. As one ascends the hillock, there is a shrine of Jattiga seated on a horse. There is a huge fort behind the temple, said to have been renovated by King Tippu sultan of Mysore. Evening visit to see sunset at sun set point is real fulfilling experience. View of small boats and fishermen coming back to their houses from quite distances and different sides in the sea make every body feel the mesmerizing evening.<br />
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The main attraction of Murudeshwar is Shiva temple, this sacred place presents some beautiful carvings and statues, which has a history that dates back to a few centuries (Threthayuga). The temple which embodies a Shiva Linga is believed to have erupted when Ravana (Demon King of Lanka) flung the cloth covering the Atmalinga at Gokarna while lifting it. Lord Shiva, following a complicated sequence of events, declared that Murudeshwara should be one of his five holy places.
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<span style="background-color: yellow;"><b> About the Temple : </b></span><br />
<br />
Bounded by the shimmering sea and rolling hills, the place is a favourite picnic spot. WIth the roaring sea to the west, the towering hills to the east and the coconut and areca groves nearby, the temple attracts a lot of devotees and tourists as well. The sea is an intrinsic part of the temple scape at Murudeshwar. The sea surrounds the temple towering on the small hill called Kanduka Giri on three sides.<br />
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<span style="background-color: orange;"><b>Places near Murudeshwar</b> </span><br />
<br />
Bhatkal - 16 kms<br />
Idagunji - 20 kms<br />
Gokarna - 65 kms<br />
Karwar - 120 kms<br />
Kollur - 63 kms<br />
Jog Falls - 90 kms<br />
Manjuguni - 90 kms<br />
Udupi - 100 kms<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #f1c232;"><b> How to reach Murudeshwar:</b> </span><br />
<br />
<b>Road: </b>(1 km off National Highway)
From Mangalore: Udupi - Kundapur - Byndoor - Bhatkal - Murudeshwar<br />
<br />
<b>From Karwar:</b> Kumata - Honnavar - Murudeshwar<br />
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<b>Rail:</b> The Konkan Railways and other express trains plying on the Mangalore - Goa - Mumbai route makes a stop at Murudeshwar.
Nearest Rail-head: Hubli<br />
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<b>Nearest Airport</b>: Mangalore and Goa
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aksharahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17693090922136948325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-271649439583261918.post-5602419827890932012012-07-03T00:15:00.001-07:002012-07-03T00:17:11.493-07:00Vithala Temple in Hampi<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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As the epicenter of Hampi’s attractions, Vittala Temple is the most extravagant architectural showpiece of Hampi. No amount of words can explain this spectacle. The temple is built in the form of a sprawling campus with compound wall and gateway towers. There are many halls, pavilions and temples located inside this campus. <br />
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Vittala, after whom the temple is known, is a form of lord Vishnu. This aspect of Vishnu was worshiped in this part of the country as their cult deity by the cattle herds. <br />
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The temple was originally built in the 15th century AD. Many successive kings have enhanced the temple campus during their regimes to the present form. Yon can even see the remains of a township called Vittalapura that existed around this temple complex. The highlight of Vittala temple is its impressive pillared halls and the stone chariot. The halls are carved with an overwhelming array of sculptures on the giant granite pillars. The stone chariot located inside the campus is almost an iconic structure of Hampi. <br />
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One typically accesses the campus through the eastern entrance tower, next to which the ticket counter is located. On entering through this massive tower, the first thing draws your attention would be a series of compact platforms along the central axis of the campus. At the end of these platforms stands the Stone Chariot. This is in fact a shrine built in the form of a temple chariot. An image of Garuda (the eagle god) was originally enshrined within its sanctum. Garuda, according to the Hindu mythology, is the vehicle of lord Vishnu. Thus the Garuda shrine facing the temple’s sanctum is symbolic <br />
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It may appear (and sometimes even referred to) as a monolithic structure. In reality this stone shrine was built with many giant granite blocks. The joints are smartly hidden in the carvings and other decorative features that adorn the Stone Chariot. The chariot is built on a rectangular platform of a feet or so high. All around this base platform is carved with mythical battle scenes. Though the chariot is not resting on it, the four giant wheels attached mimic the real life ones complete with the axis shafts & the brakes. A series of concentric floral motifs decorate the wheels. It appears from the marks on the platform, where the wheels rest, the wheels were free to move around the axis. </div>
You can still see the remains of the painting on the carvings of the chariot. Probably because it was relatively protected from the natural wearing elements, the undercarriage of the chariot spots one of the best preserved specimens of this kind of paintings. It is believed the whole of the Vittala Temple’s sculptures were once beautifully painted in similar fashion using the minerals as medium.<br />
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In front of the chariot two elephants are positioned as if they are pulling the chariot. In fact these elephants where brought from elsewhere and positioned here at a later stage. Originally two horses were carved in that position. The tails and the rear legs of the horses can be still seen just behind these elephant sculptures. A broken stone ladder once gave access to the sanctum is kept between the elephants. You can still spot the marks on the floor and the doorsill where once the ladder stood.<br />
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On leaving the Stone Chariot you reach the main hall in front of the Vittala temple. This hall though partially damaged is still awe inspiring. Facing the Stone Chariot, a series of steps flanged by elephant balustrades gives access to this elevated open hall called the Maha-Mantapa (the great hall). The balustrades on the east and west porch of this hall is more dramatic with giant lion Yalis fighting the relatively dwarf elephants. The Maha-Mantapa stands on a highly ornate platform. This fluted platform is carved with a series of floral motifs. The lowermost of it is a chain of horses, its trainers and the traders.<br />
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The Maha-Mantapa contains four open halls within. The south, north and the east ones are still intact. The central western hall is collapsed, probably due to the arson that followed the fall of the capital. <br />
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The main highlight of the Maha-Mantapa is its richly carved giant monolithic pillars. The outermost of the pillars are popularly called the musical pillars. These slender and short pilasters carved out of the giant pillars emit musical tones when tapped. Probably these do not belong to any of the standard musical notes, but the musical tone of the vibes earned it’s the name. Unmindful curiosity of the visitors has damaged many of these pilasters and tapping on it is banned for the sake of preservation. <br />
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The eastern hall which is called the musicians hall is notable for sculptures of musicians on the pillars. Each of the pillars surrounding this hall is sculptured with musicians, drummers and dancers. <br />
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The southern hall is dominated with the rampant mythical creatures called Yalis. The capitals of each of the pillars branches into heavily ornate corbels with terminating with lotus buds. <br />
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The northern hall is surrounded with a series of pillars with the Narasimha (the man-lion incarnation of Vishnu) themes. The most notable ones are that of Narasimha slaying Hiranyakashipu on his lap. Prahlada is seen sitting at the base in a praying posture.<br />
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The ceilings of the halls too are of interest with the lotus like carving at the centre.<br />
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Further west is a closed hall with two porches on either side. Further ahead is the sanctum.<br />
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The inner sanctum is devoid of any idol. A narrow and unlit passageway encircles the inner sanctum. A few steps on either sides of the sanctum’s main door give access to this passage. The outer wall of the sanctum that one can only sees from this passageway is richly decorated with the Kumbha-Pankajas (the motifs where lotus flower flows out of a pot) Mischief (?) by the architects. A image of a bull and elephant with a shared head. The left portion is complete as a bull and the right as an elephant!<br />
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The other attractions include the Goddess’s shrine in the northwest, the 100-pillared hall at the southwest, the Kalayna Mantapa (the ceremonial marriage hall) in the southeast and the pillared cloisters all around the enclosure wall. <br />
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You can reach Vittala temple in two ways. The first is by the road and the second is by a walk along the riverbank from Hampi Bazaar. You can take and auto rickshaw from Hampi bus stand (Rs40) to Vittala temple. Or catch a local bus first from Hampi bus stand to Kamapapura and then from Kamaplapura to Vittala temple (ask any one at the Kamalapura bus stand to spot you the right bus)<br />
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Admission fee Rs10 for Indian citizens; USD5 or equivalent for foreign nationals. Preserve this ticket. You can use the ticket for the same day to enter the Zenena Enclosure area in the Royal Centre. Admission is free for children under age of fifteen. <br />
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Pay at the ticket counter Rs25 for use of video camera. You can use still camera free of cost. Use of tripods is not permitted inside the temple campus. <br />
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The monument opens from 8.30 in the morning to 5.30 in the evening. Try to visit this place soon it opens in the morning. You can practically see & photograph peacefully before the crowd (and noise!) builds up slowly <br />
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<b>How to Get to the Vittala Temple
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The Vittala Temple is located in Hampi and the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation operates daily buses from Bangalore and other nearby areas to this region. The nearest railhead to Hampi is in Hospet and the nearest domestic airport is at Bellaryaksharahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17693090922136948325noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-271649439583261918.post-46876118275305340172012-07-03T00:02:00.002-07:002012-07-03T00:02:29.307-07:00Thiruvalla Temple - Alappuzha<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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One of the most attractive regions of Kerala, famed for her exotic backwaters, Alappuzhab is also known for her diverse animal life. However, perhaps the most important feature of the region is her temples which are renowned not just in the state but all around India. Another important temple of the region is the Tiruvalla Temple- Alappuzha, which is visited by thousands of pilgrims every year. <br />
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<b>Foundation </b><br />
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One of the largest temples of Kerala, the Tiruvalla Temple in Alappuzha is revered by faithful from all across the country. Established in the pre-Christian era, the temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. However a number of other shrines are also present in the temple, some of which are dedicated to other deities of Hinduism. <b></b><br />
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<b>Location </b><br />
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Situated at a distance of just 3 kilometers away from the Thiruvalla Railway Station, the Tiruvalla Temple or the Sree Vallabha Temple as it is also known is easily accessible from all parts of the state. <br />
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<b>Architecture </b><br />
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The architecture of the temple showcases the ancient Hindu style of planning and construction. The walls of the temple are adorned with murals, which provide glimpses into some of the religious doctrines that form the basis of Hinduism. One of the most important aspects of the temple is the presence of a natural tank that is considered to be extremely holy. Another important attraction in the temple is its 50 feet tall flag-staff that is said to have a base that touches the water-table of the area. Made of granite, the flag-staff is made even more unique by the presence of a statue of Garuda, the Supernatural half-man and half-bird vehicle or bearer of Lord Vishnu. <br />
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<b>Important Festivals </b><br />
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The temple which generally remains inaccessible to women allows their entry only on two days which include Vishnu and Thiruvathira. Besides this, the most important festival of the temple is the annual festival of Uthraseeveli that is celebrated during the Makayiram asterism in Meenam (March - April). <b>Other </b><br />
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<b>Attractions </b><br />
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One of the principal attractions of the Tiruvalla Temple - Alappuzha is the Kathakali performance that is held on the premises of the temple each evening. It is believed that Lord Vishnu, the principal deity of the temple watches the performance from His abode each evening. <br />
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<b>Time To Visit </b><br />
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Two annual festivals are held, one in February-March and another in March-April. Other than the religious ceremonies, cultural programs are also part of the festival.<br />
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<b>How To Reach </b><br />
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The nearest international airport is Cochin. Thiruvalla is the nearest railway station. Alappuzha is easily accessible through waterways from Cochin, Kottayam, Kevalam, Changanassery and Chengannur. </div>aksharahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17693090922136948325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-271649439583261918.post-66679491302467673862012-07-02T23:54:00.000-07:002012-07-02T23:54:23.840-07:00Lakshmi Narayan Temple in New Delhi<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<strong>Location </strong>: Mandir Marg, New Delhi <br />
<strong>Constructed By</strong> : Industrialist B.D.Birla in 1938 Presiding <br />
<strong>Deity </strong>: Lakshmi Narayan - Lord Vishnu <br />
<strong>Best Time To Visit</strong> : Janamashtami, Deepawali <br />
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The Laxminarayan Temple (Hindi: श्री लक्ष्मीनारायण मन्दिर, also known as the Birla Mandir) is a Hindu temple dedicated to Laxminarayan in Delhi, India. The temple is built in honour of Lakshmi (Hindu goddess of wealth), and her consort Narayana (Vishnu, Preserver in the Trimurti) by B. R. Birla from 1933 and 1939, when it was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi. The side temples are dedicated to Shiva, Krishna and Buddha. <br />
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The temple spread over 7.5 acres, is adorned with many shrines, fountains, and a large garden, and also houses Geeta Bhawan for discources. The temple is one of the major attractions of Delhi and attracts thousands of devotees on the Hindu festivals of Janmashtami and Diwali. <br />
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The construction of temple dedicated to Laxmi Narayan started in 1933, built by industrialist and philanthropist, Baldeo Das Birla of Birla family, thus, the temple is also known as Birla Temple, locally. The famous temple is accredited to have been inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi in 1939. At that time, Mahatma Gandhi kept a condition that the temple would not be restricted to the Hindus and people from every caste would be allowed inside. Since then, funds for further renovations and support have come from the Birla family <br />
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The three-storied temple is built in the northern or Nagara style of Hindu temple architecture. The entire temple is adorned with carvings depicting the scenes from Hindu mythology. More than hundred skilled artisans from Benares, headed by Acharya Vishvanath Shastri, carved the idols of the temple. The highest shikhara of the temple above the sanctum sanctorum is about 160 feet high. The temple faces the east and is situated on a high plinth. The shrine is adorned with fresco paintings depicting his life and work. The icons of the temple are in marble brought from Jaipur. Kota stone from Makarana, Agra, Kota and Jaisalmer were used in the construction of the temple premises.The Geeta Bhawan to the north of the temple is dedicated to Lord Krishna. Artificial landscape and cascading waterfalls add to the beauty of the temple <br />
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The main temple houses statues of Lord Narayan and Hindu Goddess Lakshmi. There are other small shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva, Lord Ganesha and Hanuman. There is also a shrine dedicated to Lord Buddha. The left side temple shikhar (dome) houses Devi Durga, the Hindu goddess of Shakti, the power. The temple is spread over an area of 7.5 acres (30,000 m2) approximately. And built up area is 0.52 acres (2,100 m2). <br />
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The temple is located on the Mandir Marg, situated west of the Connaught Place in New Delhi. The temple is easily accessible from the city by local buses, taxis and auto-rickshaws. Nearest Delhi Metro station is R.K.Ashram Marg, located about 2 km away. Also on the same road lies the New Delhi Kalibari. </div>aksharahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17693090922136948325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-271649439583261918.post-40905397557575821902012-06-29T01:54:00.000-07:002012-06-29T01:54:05.690-07:00Guruvayoor Sri Krshna Temple at Trichur<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Guruvayur Sri Krshna Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Krshna, located in the town of Guruvayur in Kerala, India. It is one of the most important places of worship for Hindus of Kerala and is often referred to as "Bhuloka Vaikunta" which translates to the "Holy Abode of Vishnu on Earth". The idol installed at Guruvayur Sri Krshna Temple represents a form of Krshna with its four arms carrying the conch Pancajanya, the magical discus with serrated edges Sudarshana Chakra, the mace Kaumodaki and a lotus with a boly basil garland. This idol represents the majestic form of god Vishnu as revealed to Vasudeva and Devaki around the time of Krshna; hence Guruvayur is also known as "Dwaraka of South India". Krishna is popularly known in Kerala by different names such as Kannan, Unnikkannan ("Baby" Kannan), Unnikkrshnan, Balakrshnan, and Guruvayurappan. The "presiding" deity in the Sri Kovil of the Guruvayur Sri Krshna Temple is Vishnu. He is currently worshipped (the "puja") according to routines laid down by Adi Shankara and later written formally in the tantric way, the inter-religious spiritual movement that arose in medieval India, by Cennas Narayanan Nambudiri (born in 1427). The Cennas Nambudiris are the hereditary tantris of the Guruvayur Temple The temple (puja) routines are strictly followed. The tantri is available full time at the Temple to ensure this. The Melsanti (Chief Priest) enters the sanctum sanctorum at 2:30 in the morning and does not drink anything up to the completion of "noon worships" at 12:30 PM. The Vedic traditions being followed at this temple with absolute perfection is the hallmark of the Guruvayur temple. It is important to note here that, even though the shrine is considered to be one of the holiest spots for Vaishnavites, the temple is not a part of the famous 108 Holy Temples. <b></b><br />
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<span style="background-color: #ffd966;"><b>Story of the deity</b> </span><br />
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The deity of the Guruvayur Temple is unique, since it is carved out of a stone called "Patalanjana Stone", and is considered extremely sacred by the Hindus. This idol was once worshipped by god Vishnu in Vaikuntha and he handed it over to god Brahma. King Sutapas and his wife worshipped Brahma for a child and being gratified with their devotion, they received this Deity from him and advised them to start worshipping it. Being pleased with their worship, Vishnu appeared before them and blessed them with the boon that he himself will be born as their child in their four re-births in three different forms and in four different situations, with the deity. Thus they got the good fortune to worship the same deity in all four rebirths. They gave birth to Prsnigarbha who gave to the world the practice of Brahmacarya (Celibacy). In their next birth, Sutapas and his wife were born as Kasyapa and Aditi and their son was Vamana. In the third rebirth as Dasaratha and Kausalya, Vishnu was born as their son Rama. In the fourth rebirth as Vasudeva and Devaki, Vishnu was born as their eighth child Krshna. In the long run, god Krshna himself installed this deity at Dwaraka and worshipped it knowing that it is none other than himself. At the time of Krshna's ascension to heaven, his devotee Uddhava became sad thinking of the departure of Krshna. Krshna then gave his foremost disciple and devotee Uddhava this deity and instructed him to entrust Bṛhaspati (the master of the demi-gods) with the task of taking the deity to a suitable location. Uddhava was plunged in grief thinking of the fate that would befall the world in the Age of the Demon during his absence. Krshna pacified Uddhava and promised him that he himself would manifest in the deity and shower his blessings on the devotees who take refuge in him. A deluge had closed in on Dwaraka, but Bṛhaspati salvaged the deity floating in the water, with the help of his prime disciple Vayu. Bṛhaspati and Vayu went around the world in search of an ideal place. At last they entered Kerala through Palakkad gap where they met Parasurama who was going to Dwaraka in search of the very deity they were bringing. Parasurama led Bṛhaspati and Vayu to a lush green spot with a beautiful lotus lake where they felt the presence of god Siva. Siva along with Parvati welcomed them and told them that this would be the ideal spot for installing the deity. Siva permitted Bṛhaspati and Vayu to perform the consecration rites and blessed them that henceforth this place would be known as "Guruvayur" (since the installation was done by guru ("master") Bṛhaspati and Vayu). Siva with Parvati then left to the opposite bank to Mammiyur. It is in memory of this incident that a pilgrimage to Guruvayur is said to be complete only with a worship of "Mammiyur Siva" also. Viśvákarma, the divine architect of the demi-gods built the temple. He made it in such a way that on the day of Vishu (summer equinox) the first rays of the sun fall straight on to Vishnu's feet. The deity was installed in the solar month of Kumbha (February - March) and the ceremony was begun on the seventh asterism of Puyam and completed on the day of Anizham <br />
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<span style="background-color: #e69138;"><b>Location and transport</b> </span><br />
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The temple is located about 29 km from Thrissur. The nearest railway station is at Guruvayur. Only Guruvayur-Chennai Egmore express train from Chennai via Thiruvananthapuram, Madurai and Tiruchirapalli runs up to this station. However, a regular passenger train service to Ernakulam via Thrissur is available. The nearest major railway station with better connectivity is at Thrissur. The nearest airport (75 km) is Cochin International Airport, at Nedumbassery near Kochi. Guruvayur is well connected from all major towns of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Various private and state government-owned bus companies operate regular services to this temple town. The annual festival starts by hoisting the holy flag on the golden mast erected in front of the Temple. The holy rope for hoisting the Flag comes from Sree Mahavishnu Temple at Panangad near Kochi as a procession. <br />
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<span style="background-color: lime;"><b>Dress code for entering the temple</b> </span><br />
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Strict dress code exists for people who wish to enter the Guruvayur Temple. Men are to wear mundu around their waist, without any dress covering their chest. But it is allowed to cover the chest region with a small piece of cloth (veshthi). Boys are allowed to wear shorts, but they are also prohibited from wearing a shirt. Girls and women are not allowed to wear any trouser like dresses or short skirts. Women are allowed to wear sari and girls are to wear long skirt and blouses. Presently the dress code for women have been relaxed with shalwar kameez (churidar pyjamas) being allowed. Unlike in northern India, in Kerala and other southern Indian states Hindu women do not cover their heads in temples. Like all other temples in India, footwear is strictly prohibited. Security restrictions prevent carrying of mobile phones or cameras into the temple<br />
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<b><span style="background-color: orange;">Timings of Guruvayur Temple </span></b><br />
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Guruvayur Temple opens daily at 03:00 AM with Nirmalya Darshan and will be closed at 12:30 PM. The temple reopens at 4:30 PM and closed at 09:15 PM. <br />
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<b><span style="background-color: #ead1dc;">Elephant Sanctuary </span></b><br />
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The elephant sanctuary at Punnathur Kotta which is 3 km from Guruvayur is worth visiting. This is the largest elephant sanctuary and the elephants were offered by the devotees of the Lord. Gajapooja and Anayoottu (elephant feeding) are conducted here. <br />
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<b><span style="background-color: yellow;">How to reach Sree Krishna Temple, Guruvayur </span></b><br />
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<b>Railway Station </b>Guruvayur Railway Station is on the east of the temple which is connected to the Chennai - Mangalore main line at Thrissur. Thrissur Railway Station is the nearest major railway station about 29 km from Guruvayoor. <br />
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<b>By Road </b>Guruvayoor is well connected with other parts of the country by road transport. Both KSRTC and private bus services offers interstate bus services to almost all major cities in south India including Palani, Madurai, Mookambika, Ooty, Coimbatore, Dindigul, Salem, Mysore, Chennai, Mangalore, and Udupi. National Highway 17 (NH 17) passes through Kunnamkulam about 8 km away from Guruvayur. <br />
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<b>Airport </b>Kochi International Airport (Nedumbassery Airpot) is the nearest airport, which is about 80 km from Guruvayur. Calicut International Airport (Karipur Airport) is another nearest airport around 100 km from Guruvayur Sri Krishna Temple. <br />
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<b><span style="background-color: lime;">Visit Near Guruvayur Temple </span></b><br />
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Being an important Hindu pilgrimage center, Guruvayur is home for some of the famous temples in Kerala. Some of the famous temples located near by include Mammiyoor Temple, Parthasarathi Temple, Narayanamkulangara Bhagavati Temple, Tiruvenkatam Temple, and Sreekandapuram Vishnu Temple.</div>aksharahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17693090922136948325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-271649439583261918.post-75173424381550561592012-06-29T01:40:00.001-07:002012-06-29T01:40:55.382-07:00Cave Temple at Badami<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The Badami cave temples are a complex of temples located at Badami, a town in the Bagalkot District in the north part of Karnataka, India. They are considered an example of Indian rock-cut architecture, especially Badami Chalukya Architecture. Badami, the capital of the Early Chalukyas, who ruled much of Karnataka in the 6th to 8th centuries, lies at the mouth of a ravine with rocky hills on either side and a town tank in which water from the ravine flows. The town is known for its ancient cave temples carved out of the sandstone hills above. <br />
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<span style="background-color: #ffd966;">T</span><b><span style="background-color: #ffd966;">emple caves</span> </b><br />
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The Badami cave temples are composed of four caves, all carved out of the soft Badami sandstone on a hill cliff in the late 6th to 7th centuries. The planning of four caves is simple. The entrance is a verandah (mukha mandapa) with stone columns and brackets, a distinctive feature of these caves, leading to a columned mandapa – main hall (also maha mandapa) and then to the small square shrine (sanctum sanctorum, garbhaghrha) cut deep into the cave. The temple caves represent different religious sects. Among them, two (cave 2 and 3) are dedicated to god Vishnu, one to god Shiva (cave 1) and the fourth (cave 4) is a Jain temple. The first three are devoted to the Vedic faith and the fourth cave is the only Jain temple at Badami. The cave temples date back to 600 and 700 CE. Their architecture is a blend of North Indian Nagara Style and South Indian Dravidian style. As described above each cave has a sanctum sanctorum, a mandapa, a verandah and pillars. The cave temples also bear exquisite carvings, sculptures and beautiful murals. Important part of historical heritage at Badami cave temples are inscriptions in old Kannada script. There is also the fifth cave temple in Badami – Buddhist temple in natural cave which can be entered only on all fours. <br />
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<span style="background-color: #f1c232;"><strong>Cave 1</strong> </span><br />
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The first shrine has at its entrance Shiva’s door keepers; to the right inside is the figure of Shiva of about five feet height and in the tandava dancing pose with 18 arms. Beside him are Nandi, dancing Ganapati, etc. There is a neatly carved perfect figure of Mahishasuramardini and several other rock –cut dwarf images of kubja ganas, Nagaraja or snake king, Vidhyadhara couple, etc, are on the ceiling. <br />
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<b><span style="background-color: #d9ead3;">Cave 2 </span></b><br />
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The second cave and on its front are the guards or dvarapalakas holding lotus in their hands. East and West walls of the cave have large images of Bhuvaraha and Trivikrama. On the ceiling are engraved Ananthashayana, Bramha, Vishnu, Shiva and Asthadikpalakas. <br />
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<b><span style="background-color: #ffe599;">Cave 3 </span></b><br />
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The third cave is dedicated to Vishnu, and is the best and the biggest, and it has splendid giant figures of Paravasudeva, Bhuvaraha, Harihara and Narasimha. All these statues are engraved in a vigorous style. An inscription found here records the creation of the shrine by Mangalesha in 578. There are some paintings on the ceiling and the style indicates maturity but has lost its original dazzling colour. The bracket figures on the piers here are some of the finest. <br />
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<b><span style="background-color: #f6b26b;">Cave 4 </span></b><br />
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The fourth cave is Jaina which lies a little east of cave III. The sanctum is adorned by the image of Mahavira. The pedestal contains an old Kannada inscription of the 12th century A.D. which registers the death of one Jakkave. Scores of Jaina Thirthankara images have been engraved in the inner pillars and walls. In addition to it, there are some idols of Bahubali, Yakshas and Yakshis. Some scholars assign the cave to the 8th century.<br />
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<b><span style="background-color: cyan;">Best time to visit </span></b><br />
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The best time to visit these cave temples is between the months of October to February when the weather is pleasant enough to explore these caves temples. <br />
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The interesting fact about these Cave Temples is that the carvings in Cave Temple 2 has 16 spokes, made thousands of years ago and these spokes are carved out in fish form that leaves everyone astounded. There are also four swastikas inside the cave temple and the interesting part about these swastikas is that it can be drawn without lifting the pen. <br />
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<b><span style="background-color: magenta;">Timing </span></b><br />
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The cave temples of Badami, remains open from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm.</div>aksharahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17693090922136948325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-271649439583261918.post-79585236590883141382012-06-29T01:28:00.000-07:002012-06-29T01:28:37.931-07:00Shri Mahalsa Temple<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The Mahalsa Temple located at Mardol in Ponda is one of the most famous temples in Goa. It is also known as the Shri Mahalasa Narayani Temple and is dedicated to the Goddess Mahalasa. Lakshmi (Mahalasa), the goddess of wealth and prosperity is the presiding deity in this temple. This deity was originally located at a temple in the Salcete taluka. However, in the 16th century, the troops of Adil Shah attacked the temple and razed it to the ground. The deity though was rescued and moved to its present location. In Goa, the goddess Mahalsa is accepted as Vishnu's consort. However there is another belief that proclaims that Mahalsa is the female form of Lord Vishnu. Once, Lord Vishnu took the form of Mohini, an extremely beautiful woman and lured the demons away from their evil intentions of destroying the world. 'Mohini' was eventually disrupted and came to be known as 'Mahalsa'. At the entrance to the Mahalasa Narayani Temple is an artistic, seven storied lamp tower, which is known as a deepstambh. Made entirely from brass, this tower stands 12.5 metres high. It is indeed a sight to see the tower aglow with oil lamps during festivals. The inner hall of the temple has carvings of the 10 incarnations of Lord Vishnu that have been resplendently painted. An embellished silver frame adorns the doorway to the sanctum. Behind the Mahalasa Temple is an ancient water tank. The ambience around this tank is serene. The main festival celebrated here is the annual fair of the temple that is held in February. It is also called the Mardol Zatra. The other festivals observed here are Mahashivratri and Kojagiri Purnima.</div>aksharahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17693090922136948325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-271649439583261918.post-4049517737159753602012-06-24T22:10:00.000-07:002012-06-24T22:10:43.355-07:00HEMKUND PILGRIMAGE<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1KyVfycajXhhSoXSAeeKPg5YyPJJud5k25N3kROpo71q1y8SxR3G01cY-2IdrDqguglMV8o6kslYSVFCj_wL3DqGZ7HdyIzErIZG5x1IfY_i7jWXGd8K3VN7EVPoepm_VIjcmmoqbbi1N/s1600/Hemkund+Sahib.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1KyVfycajXhhSoXSAeeKPg5YyPJJud5k25N3kROpo71q1y8SxR3G01cY-2IdrDqguglMV8o6kslYSVFCj_wL3DqGZ7HdyIzErIZG5x1IfY_i7jWXGd8K3VN7EVPoepm_VIjcmmoqbbi1N/s320/Hemkund+Sahib.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
Situated in the Himalayas at an elevation of over 15,000 ft in the state of Uttarakhand, Hemkund Sahib is a much traveled pilgrimage site for the Sikhs. It is located in the highest altitude of the Hemkund Lake (4329 m above sea level) and is surrounded by snow clad peaks and their glaciers.<br />
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Visited both by Hindus and Sikhs and other communities as well, the very sacred Sikh shrine of Hemkund Sahib is the place where Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth and last Guru of the Sikhs, attained salvation after a prolonged process of meditation in his previous birth. The Guru’s memoirs which contain a comprehensive description of the site helped two devout Sikhs, Sant Sohan Singh and Havaldar Mohan Singh to revive it. According to Hindu mythology, Hemkund or Lokpal as it is also referred to as, is actually where Lakshman had performed meditation. <br />
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Reached by a 15 km trek from Govindghat (about 275 km from Rishikesh), which is the entranceway to the Bhyundar or Lakshman Ganga Valley, Hemkund Sahib offers a whole range of trekking options. Govindghat is located on the bus route to Badrinath. The trek from here to Hemkund interestingly takes one through deep forests of pine and rhododendron where one gets to woo the wild roses, ferns, and alpine flowers. The surging waters of the Lakshman Ganga are equally placating. The last 5 km of the trek involves a steep climb from Ghangharia, which is a base for visiting Hemkund. The placid waters of the Hemkund Lake which is 2km in circumference reflect images of Saptashringa Peaks (5,500 meters) which surround it. Sleets floating on the waters during the months between July and October offer the best scenarios in Hemkund – one of the finest tourist destinations in India. <br />
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Approximately 3 km from Gobinddham is located the 5 km long Valley of Flowers which makes for a wonderful visit while you are touring Hemkund Sahib. The beauty of fresh blooms will enchant you to the core and are some of the major tourist attractions in Hemkund Sahib. <br />
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<b style="background-color: #f6b26b;">How to reach Hemkund Sahib: </b><br />
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<b>By Air:</b> Nearest airport from Hemkund Sahib is Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun, 307 kms. <br />
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<b>By Rail:</b> Nearest railway station is Rishikesh, 293 kms. <br />
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<b>By Road:</b> Hemkund Sahib is located 5 Kms. from Ghangharia, which is reachable on foot from Govindghat which is well linked by excellent roadways and road transport with Rishikesh, Dehradun, Kotdwara, Nainital, Haridwar, Ranikhet and other major hill stations of Garhwal and Kumaon Hills. </div>aksharahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17693090922136948325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-271649439583261918.post-71569737311528673742012-03-01T23:05:00.000-08:002012-03-01T23:05:19.014-08:00Gaya Pilgrimage<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhYS4UV83-f783gzO9n2D5D5zEulI4eROhgvBDI_CeGLU-QZttwKq2KHGm3tSmNi-0tOMMQRjBRuhJl7qeXOjWsAt5XALg5w8YquooQrdlmswFLwR9RpuC3tXZOKzfwgkc7cajliQWvP_g/s1600/gaya.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhYS4UV83-f783gzO9n2D5D5zEulI4eROhgvBDI_CeGLU-QZttwKq2KHGm3tSmNi-0tOMMQRjBRuhJl7qeXOjWsAt5XALg5w8YquooQrdlmswFLwR9RpuC3tXZOKzfwgkc7cajliQWvP_g/s320/gaya.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><b>BODHGAYA</b>: As the place of the Buddha's Enlightenment, Bodhgaya is the spiritual home of Buhddhists. It attracts tens of thousands of believers from all over the world. Bodhgaya situated near the river Niranjana, is one of the holiest Buddhist pilgrimage centres since it was here that Buddha attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree.<br />
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The population of this town is 22,000 and is situated at an altitude of 113 m. Maximum temperature in summer rises to 45-47 degree Celsius and minimum is 27 degree, while in winter maximum is 28 degree and minimum is 4 degree. It receives an annual rainfall of 1,860 mm. Most countries with vast Buddhist population have a temple or monastery here.The 25 m Great Buddha Statue in the Japanese Kamakura style was unveiled by his holiness Dalai Lama in 1989.<br />
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<div style="background-color: #ffe599;"><b>Places of Interest :</b></div><br />
<b>Mahabodhi Temple</b><br />
The Mahabodhi temple is an imposing brick structure that is enclosed on three sides by an ancient stone railing. The temple celebrates the birth of Buddhism, for it is under a tree adjacent to this temple, that Prince Siddhartha became the Buddha by attaining enlightenment.<br />
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The Mahabodhi temple has a giant pyramidal structure (sikhara) which rises to a height of 54 m. It has a quadrangular base and four spires at the corners. It can be seen for miles around and distinguishes Bodhgaya from other Buddhist centres. Inside it you will find a gilded image of the Buddha. The bricks in the oldest part of the temple have been fitted together without the use of cement. It stands at the site of a shrine built by King Ashoka, who ruled over Magadha during the 3rd century BC. The present structure was most recently renovated in the 1880s, but is believed to have been rebuilt and restored during the 6 and 7th centuries and again in the 11th Century.<br />
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Buddhists from other parts of the world have been closely linked to this temple. During the 4th century, the Sri Lankan King, Sri Meghavanna built a monastery in Bodhgaya. Another Sri Lankan monk Mahanama visited the place in 588 AD and built a shrine with a statue of the Buddha. The remains of this can still be seen near the northern staircase leading to the temple. The monastery was still there in the 7th century when Xuan Zhang travelled to India and it was also recorded by Dharmasvamin, another traveller and a monk from Sri Lanka, who visited the place in the 13th century.<br />
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Buddhists of Burma have had a long, close relationship with Bodhgaya. Since the 11th century, they have donated large sums of money and several Burmese kings have sent missions to Bodhgaya to carry out repairs at the temple. Details of the first of these missions can still be found in inscriptions at the Shway Sandaw Pagoda in Prome, Burma.<br />
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In the 19th century, the British Lt Governor of Bengal, Sir Ashley Eden appointed Sir Alexander Cunningham and J D Beglar to excavate and restore the temple. This four-year project began in 1880, and cost Rs 2,00,000, money raised mostly from overseas Buddhists. The restoration by Beglar was based on a miniature model found during excavation. There was a hue and cry about Beglar's lack of understanding of Indian architecture and some believe that his attempt actually damaged the ruins. In 1956 the temple was renovated with the help of large international grants. Today the restored temple looks majestic. However, in spite of its historical significance, the temple has not yet been declared a protected monument.<br />
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<b>Stone railing</b><br />
A stone railing that dates to 100 BC, built during the reign of the Sunga dynasty, surrounds the Mahabodhi temple on three sides. It is the oldest of the excavated evidence in Bodhgaya but only part of the original structure is still in place. You can find the rest in museums in Calcutta and London. This carved stone railing is two metres high and has been restored over the years. Inscriptions on the railings indicate that it was built after the original temple and was gifted by women of royal patronage from the court of Indragnimitra and Brahmamitra.<br />
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<b>Bodhi Tree</b><br />
The Bodhi tree (Ficus religiosa) which lies behind the main temple was planted in the nineteenth century and is believed to be a descendent of the original tree under which Buddha attained enlightenment. It is also called the Bo, peepul or tree of knowledge.<br />
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Pilgrims tie prayer flags to its branches and meditate under it. Cemented railingsh ave recently been erected around the tree. Monks and devotees sit around the tree in the early hours of the morning (beginning at 4.30 am) to meditate and chant. You will be imbued with the sense of peace and serenity that is in the air, even if you are not meditating.<br />
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<b>Vajrasana (Diamond throne or thunder seat)</b><br />
Vajrasana is the large rectangular slab of polished chunnar (red sandstone), covered with a gold canopy, that you will see under the Bodhi tree. This is the spot, it is popularly believed, where Buddha was sitting when he attained enlightenment. The top is decorated with an unusual geometric design that has faded considerably. Visiting monks decorate the place with flowers and place an urn on it to collect donations or offerings.<br />
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<b>Animeshlochana Chaitya (temple)</b><br />
This whitewashed temple stands slightly off the walk to the Mahabodhi temple. It is a miniature of the Mahabodhi temple and is said to mark the spot where the Buddha spent a week gazing at the Bodhi tree in gratitude after attaining enlightenment. He is supposed to have stood here unblinking (animesh). Hindu pilgrims also frequent this spot since they worship Buddha as the ninth incarnation of Vishnu.<br />
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<b>Cankamana (Promenade or Lotus walk)</b><br />
This is a raised platform to the north of the Mahabodhi temple and is part of the temple complex. This is called the Jewel Promenade Shrine. The structure marks the place where the Buddha paced to and fro in meditation. Legend has it that wherever he stepped, a lotus flower (a symbol of knowledge) sprang up and this is depicted through the 18 lotus flowers carved on the platform.<br />
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<b>Ratanaghara Chaitya</b><br />
A marble plank marks this site within the temple premises. Some believe that the Buddha emitted dazzling colourful lights while in deep meditation here.<br />
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<b>Mucalinda Tank</b><br />
About a mile south of the Mahabodhi Temple, is a dry pond called Mucalinda tank where the Buddha is supposed to have spent his sixth week after enlightenment. It is not the large pond filled with lotuses, next to the Ashokan Pillar, to the south of the temple. The Mucalinda Tank is dry.<br />
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<b>Stupas</b><br />
The Mahabodhi temple complex is dotted with an abundance of stupas. A majority of them date back to the Pala period (8th to 12th century) though there are older ones too. These stupas were built by pilgrims who came from Buddhist countries like Burma (Myanmar), Sri Lanka, and Tibet. You can easily identify the colourfully painted Tibetan stupas.<br />
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<b>Ashoka's Pillar</b><br />
At the south-east corner of the temple stands a part of the Ashokan pillar. Originally erected at Bodhgaya, this pillar was found near Gaya and was moved here in 1956.<br />
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<b>Hindu Temples</b><br />
Also within the premises of the Mahabodhi temple, is a row of Hindu shrines. These temples probably came up during the period of struggle between Brahmanical and Buddhist sects. The first of these shrines has an interesting collection of Buddha statues that are now confusingly dressed up to look like Hindu deities. Brahman priests here, who look distinctly different from the Buddhist monks, will probably ask you for a donation.<br />
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<b>Rajbejatan</b><br />
The Rajayatana Tree is believed to be the spot where the Buddha spent time preaching to two seekers of the Truth. While the actual site has not been identified yet, a marble inscription stands as a dummy.<br />
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<b>Niranjana or Falgu River</b><br />
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This river is a natural landmark that attracts tourists who like to wade in the water to cool off, especially in the summer. The river is wide, sandy and shallow even in the rainy season. It's a great picnic spot for tourists who want to sit around on the banks under shady trees.<br />
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<b>Sujata's Stupa</b><br />
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According to legend, when Prince Siddhartha was ailing after practising severe penance, a woman named Sujata offered him some kheer (rice pudding) which helped him recover miraculously. This stupa is supposed to mark the spot where she found him. However, there are some doubts about the authenticity of the location. You can reach the stupa after crossing the bridge across the river and walking along a trail across paddy fields for 15 minutes. The local caretaker of this abandoned site has made it his business to maintain a record of visitors after which you will be asked to make a donation. On the way to this location, you will pass villages, the heartland of rural India.<br />
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<b>Archaeological Museum</b><br />
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Near the ITDC Ashok hotel and a short walk from the temple, is a museum with a large, interesting collection of relics (Buddhist and Hindu) along with terracotta seals, scriptures and railings/pillars from the Sunga period (1 BC to 1 AD). You can admire the ancient statues of the Buddha and the Bodhisattvas, one of which has an inscription that dates back to 383 AD. Also on display, is a carved stone model of the original temple, found during excavation. As you enter the garden, a life-size statue of Buddha in black stone welcomes you. Unfortunately the statue's head is missing. Entry to the museum costs Rs 5. It is open from 10 am to 5 pm and closed on Friday. Some publications and books on Bodhgaya and Buddhist art and architecture are for sale at the ticket counter. Photography is prohibited inside the museum. If you happen to visit the museum during the off-season period, insist on the hall lights being switched on.<br />
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<b>Modern monasteries</b><br />
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Buddhists of different countries have, over the years, built temples in their own particular architectural styles in Bodhgaya. Some of them are worth a visit:A Tibetan temple of the Gelgupa (yellow cap) sect with a huge prayer wheel, has its walls painted in traditional Tibetan style with scenes from the Buddha's life. It stands right next to the Mahabodhi guesthouse.The Chinese temple near it is a simpler structure, a more sober expression of faith.Wat Bodhgaya, the Thai temple is one of the more impressive monasteries in Bodhgaya. It was built in 1956 by the Thai King and the Indian Prime Minister as an initiative to strengthen relations between the two countries. The temple stands facing the main road, next to the tourist bungalow.A new, brightly painted Bhutanese temple can be found at the corner of the main road.There is a small Tibetan temple built by the Kagyu sect that stands close to the Bhutanese temple.Two Japanese temples (the Daijokyo and Indosan Nipponji) have a simple design with neat gardens. Nearby is the Giant Buddha statue, which is 24 m tall and has the Buddha seated in the Dhyan Mudra position.<br />
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<div style="background-color: #e69138;"><b>Climate</b></div><br />
Although the pilgrimage season starts in September, the best time to visit Bodhgaya is between November and February. This is when the daytime temperature is normally a pleasant 14° to 18°C; in the night it drops to 4°C. In April, when the Buddha Jayanti is celebrated, a large number of devotees flock to Bodhgaya from the world over, but it is terribly hot. June is the hottest month and is certainly avoidable as the temperature can soar to a searing 47°C; in the night it drops to a still warm, 28°C. June-end to September is the monsoon. If you intend to meditate under the Bodhi tree, you will have to bear with either heat, rain or crowds of devotees.<br />
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<div style="background-color: #ea9999;"><b>Bodhgaya History</b></div><br />
Prince Siddhartha Gautama of the Saakya tribe came here in 528 BC, in search of the truth. He had renounced life as a prince, broken family ties, practised severe penance and trained under several teachers for six years before he came to Bodhgaya (then called Uruvela). It was while meditating under a peepul tree here that he gained spiritual enlightenment or Bodh.<br />
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Much of the town's history is known from inscriptions on the stone railing of the Mahabodhi Temple and the accounts of travellers and pilgrims. Excavations carried out since the 19th century have revealed interesting examples of art and architecture. Of particular importance is a model of the original temple that was found during excavation.<br />
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During the 4th century, Sri Lankan Buddhists gained control of the Mahabodhi temple as a result of the efforts of the Sri Lankan King Meghavanna. The king later built a monastery in Bodhgaya. During the Gupta period (4th to 6th century) the temple and its surrounding area went through many changes. Quite a few small shrines were constructed, but only the remains of their foundations can be seen today.<br />
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One of the most prosperous periods for the temple was during the reign of the Pala kings of Bengal (8th to 12th century). The temple received lavish donations and gifts from the Pala rulers and other Buddhists of Bengal. During this time it was also an important centre for learning. The famous Bengali scholar Atista, who is credited with playing an important role in the resurgence of Buddhism in Tibet, was ordained here.<br />
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With the decline of Buddhism in India in the 12th and 13th centuries, Bodhgaya became less frequented and almost all its temples and shrines fell to ruin. Four centuries later, attempts to restore the art and architecture, and revive the place as a centre for pilgrimage began once again. Today, Bodhgaya is the most important Buddhist pilgrimage centre in the world. It is a fairly quiet, small town that explodes into a colourful, tented Buddhist pilgrimage centre every winter.<br />
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<div style="background-color: #f9cb9c;"><b>How to get there:</b></div>Bodhgaya is 12 km from Gaya, 140 km from Patna, 66 km from Rajgir and 482 km from Calcutta.<br />
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<b>Air</b>: Patna is the nearest airport with regular flights to Delhi, Ranchi, Lucknow, Calcutta, Chennai, Mumbai. Calcutta, 482 km, has an international airport.<br />
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<b>Rail</b>: Gaya is the nearest railway station. Several superfast as well as express trains are available from Gaya. Gaya is on the main Delhi to Calcutta line and there are direct trains to Delhi, Calcutta, Varanasi, Puri and Patna.<br />
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<b>Road:</b> Bihar State Road Transport Corporation (SRTC) has bus services to Gaya, Patna, Nalanda and Rajgir. The main bus stand is opposite the Mahabodhi Temple. Private buses and taxis are also easily available.<br />
</div>aksharahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17693090922136948325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-271649439583261918.post-60379237905864750042012-03-01T22:58:00.000-08:002012-03-01T22:58:34.541-08:00Dharamsala Pilgrimage<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcT3ByzC1PAPi3UrhrTk0hi3Jmqj4tF0tpvkksaB2Tbo_Re_q6S_grD5C_8PImlIMF1JMid4aqTRws24TLN8nVhnCaNr1OSSOZw7vLou__ghAxXjIu8e8sYRagniAZ4LAGVANtzF3xXYIH/s1600/Khajjiar-mini-swiss-Himachal-Pradesh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcT3ByzC1PAPi3UrhrTk0hi3Jmqj4tF0tpvkksaB2Tbo_Re_q6S_grD5C_8PImlIMF1JMid4aqTRws24TLN8nVhnCaNr1OSSOZw7vLou__ghAxXjIu8e8sYRagniAZ4LAGVANtzF3xXYIH/s320/Khajjiar-mini-swiss-Himachal-Pradesh.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Located at a distance of about 185km from Shimla, the Himalayan pilgrimage town of Dharamshala overlooks plains surrounded by beautiful Deodar forests & pine trees.<br />
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A busy sacred town, Dharamshala today has become synonymous to Buddhist culture & religion. The spirituality, serenity & peacefulness of Dharamshala complimented by snowlined streams is what attracts thousands of tourists to this beautiful Himalayan destination.<br />
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While Dharamshala was once used only as the base camp for trekkers & mountaineers interested in exploring the mountains, the place today has established as a major Buddhist pilgrimage destination. The Gompas, colorful temples & places like Kotwali Bazar largely reflect the simple lifestyle, varying cultures & flavor of the place. While Dharamshala is mainly dominated by the Tibetan community, the place continues to retain the fervor & colonial lifestyle of the British.<br />
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<div style="background-color: #e69138;"></div><div style="background-color: #e69138;"><b>Major Attractions in Dharamshala</b></div><br />
<b>Mcleod Ganj</b><br />
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The arrival of the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, along with thousands of refugees to Dharamshala in 1959 made the life here more active. A number of tibetan settlements with religious education and other rehabilitation centres mushroomed all over the Mcleadganj. As Dharamshala became the headquarter of the Tibetan Government in exile, headed by Dalai Lama, it gained prominence all over the world and prominent personalities started arriving here. Mcleadganj emerged as a major Buddhist centre.<br />
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<b>Bhagsunag Fall</b><br />
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Known for its old temple, a fresh water spring, water falls and slate quarries. You can take a dip in the chilly water of fall.<br />
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<b>St. John's Church</b><br />
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It has a monument dedicated to Lord Elgin, one of the viceroys of India, who died at Chauntra ( Mandi district ) and was buried here in 1863 A.D. The Church has lovely spotted glass windows and there is a Christian cemetery around it. It is ideally situated in the majestic 'Deodar' forest.<br />
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<b>Dharamkot</b><br />
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It is situated on the crest of a hill, this favourite picnic spot affords a panoramic view of the kangra valley and the Dhauladhar ranges.<br />
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<b>War Memorial</b><br />
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Situated in Dharamshala town. The memorial is situated near the entry point to Dharamshala commemorates the memory of those who fought valiantly for the honour and defence of the mother land.<br />
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<b>Kunal Pathari</b><br />
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A level walk from Kotwali Bazar leads upto the rock temple of the local goddess.<br />
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<b>Kareri</b><br />
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Kareri lake is surrounded by green meadows, Oak and Pine trees, making it an idyllic place to visit.<br />
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<b>Dal Lake</b><br />
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Lies amidst hills and deodar tress and is 11 km. from Lower Dhramshala. It is a starting point for excursion and trekking and is located next to Tibetan children's village.<br />
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<b>Jwalamukhi Temple</b><br />
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It is nearly two-hour excursion would take guest to the famous Jwalamukhi Temple, dedicated to the Goddess of Light. There is no idol to worship as such in the temple. Rather a constantly burning blue flame emanating from inside the rocks is worshipped.<br />
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<b>Kangra Art Museum</b><br />
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Kangra Art Museum is treasure trove of the Kangra valleys arts, crafts and rich past, display artifacts that date back to the 5th Century. It includes a gallery of famous paintings and a representative collection of sculptures, pottery and anthropological items. Shamiyanas and local dresses used by local royalty, old carved doors, jail and pndals are also on display. Coins jewellery and manuscripts are included. A section houses the works of conteporary artists, sculptures and photographers.<br />
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<div style="background-color: #f1c232;"><b>How to Reach Dharamsala</b></div><b><br />
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<b>Air :</b> Airlines flies to Gaggal airport at Dharamshala thrice a week from Delhi and Kulu.<br />
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<b>Rail </b>: Pathankot (90kms) is the nearest railway station from Dharamsala. Another convenient railhead is Amritsar<br />
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<b>Road :</b> A good network of roads connects Dharamsala with many prominent cities and tourist destinations.<br />
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</div>aksharahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17693090922136948325noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-271649439583261918.post-67541219673957126992012-03-01T21:22:00.000-08:002012-03-01T21:22:13.482-08:00Dwarka Pilgrimage<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQGg4VUrgQ7tC7pIsFVGM7uKJedLqkQUvl_A_xifAj30q45akvGsDWlHFm4fEIiITOzmExZjimQW-SLBMGNTYhuMg32Zc5VYahAeCYwbyEs-8hVp4u18qaSffsJw1agKLZ0r56x0u-hjca/s1600/Dwarka-India-Gohoto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQGg4VUrgQ7tC7pIsFVGM7uKJedLqkQUvl_A_xifAj30q45akvGsDWlHFm4fEIiITOzmExZjimQW-SLBMGNTYhuMg32Zc5VYahAeCYwbyEs-8hVp4u18qaSffsJw1agKLZ0r56x0u-hjca/s320/Dwarka-India-Gohoto.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
</div>Dwarka city, on the west coast of Gujarat on the shore of the Arabian Sea, features in most of the legends surrounding Lord Krishna. It is from here that the grown Lord Krishna is supposed to have ruled his kingdom. Dwarka is a significant pilgrimage site for the Hindus.<br />
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Dwarka city is sanctified as the place where Lord Vishnu slew the demon Shankhasura. The Puranas mention the 12 Jyotirlingas or columns of light representing Lord Shiva which manifested in different parts of the country. One of these is located in Dwarka and is known as the Nageshwar Mahadev. The Jagat Mandir or Nij Mandir forms the sanctum of the Dwarkadish temple and dates back to 2500 years. Jagat Mandir has its own hall of audience and a conical spire. The roof of the hall is supported by 60 columns and the main temple rises five storeys high. The spire rises to a height of 157 feet and is richly carved. One of the most popular temples in Dwarka is that of Rukmini, Krishna's wife, considered an incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and beauty. The Sharad Peetha, one of the four Maths established by Jagatguru Shankaracharya, is also situated here.<br />
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</b></div><div style="background-color: #e69138;"><b>Pilgrimage Attractions</b></div><br />
<b>Dwarkadheesh Temple</b><br />
The temple of Dwarkadheesh, also known as Jagat Mandir, is built on the north bank of the Gomti Creek. The temple dates back to 2,500 years. Architecturally the temple is constructed on the same plan and system as most of the Hindu sacred edifices of antiquity. Sixty columns support the roof of the audience hall of the Jagat Mandir. The main temple is five-story high with the lavishly carved conical spire rising to a height of 157 feet. There is the one-meter tall, four handed black idol of Ranchhodrai, the ruler of Dwarika. Amongst the large number of temples belonging to different periods in the history of Dwarka, the most popular with pilgrims is the temple of Rukmini, Lord Krishna's wife, who is considered an incarnation of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and beauty.<br />
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In addition to its temples and legends, Dwarka is also sanctified as the seat of Adi Shankaracharya, who established four seats (maths) in four different directions in the country. Research work in Sanskrit is carried on at the Shankaracharya's seat known as Sharad Peetha.<br />
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<b>Rukmini Devi Temple</b><br />
This small temple, 1.5km north of town, is an architectural masterpiece. Rukmini is the most important of Krishna's 16,108 wives. The temple walls are decorated with beautiful paintings depicting her pastimes with Krishna. This temple is said to date back to the 12th century.<br />
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The story behind this temple is that one day, Durvasa Muni, who is easily angered, was invited by Lord Krishna and his wife, Rukmini, to dinner. When a person is invited to dinner, etiquette dictates that the host should not eat until the guest has been satisfied. On the way to dinner, Rukmini became thirsty and asked Krishna for help. Krishna then put his foot in the ground and the Ganges waters flowed forth from the earth while Durvasa was not looking. As Rukmini was drinking the water, however, Durvasa turned and saw her drinking without his permission. He became angry and cursed her to live apart from Lord Krishna. That is why Krishna's temple is in the town and hers is located outside the town.<br />
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<b>Gomati Ghat Temples</b><br />
Gomati, the descended Ganges, meets the sea at Chakra-tirtha Ghat. To take bath where the Gomati meets the ocean is said to offer liberation. If you go out the back entrance of the Dwarkadish Temple, you can see the Gomati River. The temple is located almost at the spot where the Gomati meets the ocean.<br />
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The Samudra Narayana Temple (Sangam Narayana) is an imposing temple at the confluence of the Gomati and the sea. Panchanada Tirtha consists of five sweet-water wells surrounded by seawater. At Chakra Narayana, Lord Vishnu was manifested as a stone marked with a chakra on the seashore. The Gomatiji Temple has an image of the Gomati River in it, said to have been brought down from heaven by Vasistha Muni.<br />
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<b>Nageswara Mahadeva Temple</b> contains one of the twelve Siva Jyotirlingas in an underground sanctum. It is located 10km from Dwarka.<br />
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<b>Gopi-tallava is the kund</b> (pond) where Lord Krishna met the gopis when they came to see him at Dwarka. The sacred clay from Gopi-tallava is known as gopi-candana and is used by devotees of Krishna to make the tilak marks on their bodies. It is 20km north of Dwarka on the way to Bet Dwarka.<br />
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<b>Bhalka Tirth</b><br />
The spot where Lord Krishna was mistaken for a deer and struck by a arrow hile sleeping in a deerskin. It is said Lord Krishna was cremated at Dehotsarga at Triveni Ghat.<br />
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Closeby lies Somnath with its shrine built by Soma, the Moon God. The Majestic monument as it stands today is a recent replication of the earlier construction. It is said that the original temple built by the Moon God was of gold. After it was razed to the ground it was rebuilt by Ravana in silver. When the silver temple was knocked down it was reconstructed in wood by Krishna and when this was pulled down an edifice of stone was erected by Bhimdev. Relics of the old Somnath shrine have been preserved in a museum housed in a temple. An interesting Sun Temple is also located in Somnath. Somnath is also one of the 12 Jyotirlingas or Shiva shrines in India.<br />
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<b>Fairs and Festivals at Dwarka</b><br />
Janmashtami (birthday of Lord Krishna), celebrated in the month of August/September, is a major festival of Dwarka.<br />
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<b style="background-color: #e69138;">How to Reach Dwarka</b> <br />
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<b>By Air</b><br />
Jamnagar, 145 kilometres away, is the nearest airport.<br />
<b>By Rail</b><br />
Dwarka is on the Western Railway line.<br />
<b>By Road</b><br />
State Transport buses, private buses and taxis and conducted tours run to Dwarka.</div>aksharahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17693090922136948325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-271649439583261918.post-46705028187279790452012-03-01T21:17:00.000-08:002012-03-01T21:17:23.988-08:00Bhubaneswar Pilgrimage<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
</div>The ancient capital of the Kalinga empire, and now the capital of Orissa, Bhubaneswar's history goes back over 2000 years. "Bhubaneshwar" means the "abode of God" or "master of the universe" and it was also, once known as the 'Cathedral of the East', on account of the large number of shrines. At one time, the Bindu Sagar tank was bordered by over 7000 temples. Of these, 500 still survive, all built in the extravagant Oriya style. It is of these temples, that the great poet, Rabindranath Tagore had once said - 'At all places where the eye rests, and also at places where the eye does not rest, the busy chisel of the artist has worked incessantly. The abode of god has been enveloped by a variety of figures depicting the good and the evil, the great as well as the insignificant, the daily occurrences of human life....'<br />
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Since primeval days various people have inhabited the land of Orissa. The initial homesteaders of Orissa were primitive hill tribes like Saora or Sabar from the Mahabharata days. Most of the tribal people have been induced by Hindus and have embraced Hindu bearings, customs and ceremonies. Bonda Parajas of Koraput district is the foremost example of these tribes.<br />
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These tribes are not at all touched by neoteric edification and thus the tribal traditions have been left flawless through the ages. Each tribal group has its own distinct language, culture, religion and social customs.<br />
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Orissa is the state with 3rd highest centering of tribals with almost 62 tribes existing in the city today. The tribal population is located mainly in the Korapur, Phulbani, Sundargarh and Mayurbhanj districts.<br />
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The regional language of the city is Oriya belonging to Aryan family of languages and is closely associated to Assamese, Bengali and Maithili.<br />
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<div style="background-color: #ffd966;"><b>Pilgriamage Attractions of Bhuvaneshwar</b></div><br />
<b>Temples</b><br />
Most of the temples are located near the Bindu-sarovara Tank, which is about two km south of the city center. Lingaraja and Vital Duel Temples are located west of the tank. Parasumaresvara and Muktesvara temples are east of the tank. The Rajrani and Brahmesvara Temples are a ten to fifteen-minutes walk east of the Muktesvara Temple.<br />
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<b> Lingaraja Temple (11th century)</b><br />
The presiding deity is the svayambhu linga, Hari-Hara Linga, which is half Siva and half Vishnu. He is also named Tribhuvaneswara, the Lord of the three worlds. The linga of Lingaraja, or Krittivasas, is an uncarved block of granite 8 feet in diameter raised 8 inches above the ground. The Siva linga is bathed daily with water, milk and bhang. There are many other deities in the temple. In the northeast corner of the temple there is a deity of Parvati.<br />
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<b> Muktesvara Temple</b><br />
Muktesvara Temple Built in the 10th century, this small elegant temple has been described as the most exquisitely ornamented temple in Bhubaneswar. It has an 11m (35 feet) high tower. The sandstone carvings are the most notable feature of this temple. It is also known for its ornamental gateway, carved dwarves, and intricate motif carvings of a smiling lion, adorned with beaded tassels in its mouth. Muktesvara means the Lord who bestows freedom through yoga. The Siddeswara Temple is on the same grounds and has a Ganesh deity.<br />
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<b>The small Marichi Kund, between the Mukesvara Temple and the road, is known to cure infertility in women. It is a pleasant place to sit for awhile.</b><br />
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<b> Parasurameswara Temple</b><br />
This temple is the oldest Siva temple in Bhubaneswar, built in the late 7th century. There are many intricate carvings on this temple. It is close to the Bhubaneswar to Puri road, on the east side of Bindu-sarovara, northeast of the Lingaraja temple. It is the best preserved and most impressive of Bhubaneswar's early temples. It has interesting carvings of elephant and horse processions and intricately carved windows. In the corner of the countryard is the Sahasra-linga, which is 1000 small lingas joined together.<br />
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<b>Raj Rani Temple</b><br />
The Raj Rani Temple (11th century), which is surrounded by a nice garden is no longer used for worship. This temple was dedicated to Lord Brahma and is known for its well-carved tower. It is about a km east of the main road. It is one of the later Bhubaneswar temples. Around the temple are carvings of the eight dikpalas (temple guards), who protect the temple from the different directions. They are eight important demigods. They are Indra (east) the head of the demigods, Agni (southeast) god of fire, Yamaraja (south) god of death, Nirritti (southwest), Varuna(west) god of water, Vayu (northwest) god of air, Kubera(north) god of wealth, and Isana (northeast).<br />
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<b> Brahmeshwara Temple</b><br />
This temple was built around 1050 and is a Siva-linga temple with active worship. It is known for its intricately carved sculptures. The main tower is over 18m high. It is about a km east of the main road, a good walk from the Raj Rani Temple. On the north wall of the porch is a carving of Laksmi.<br />
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<b>Vaital Deul Temple</b><br />
This interesting 8th century temple is dedicated to Chamunda (Kali). She wears a necklace of skulls and is shown as the eight-armed slayer of the buffalo demon. Her necklace of skulls and the corpse she is sitting on are usually hidden by her robes. In her arms she holds a snake, a bow, a shield, a trident, a thunderbolt and an arrow with which she is piercing the neck of the demon, thus displaying the most terrifying aspect of the goddess Kali.<br />
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This temple is close to Bindu Sagar, and it has some intricate exterior carvings. To get a good view of the temple's interior, a flashlight (torch) is needed.<br />
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<b>ISKCON Temple</b><br />
The beautifully built ISKCON temple (413-517) is located on National Highway No.5, Nayapali. The Deities in the temple are Krishna Balaram, Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra, and Gaura-Nitai. There is also a new Radha-Krishna temple. Srila Prabhupada laid the cornerstone for this temple in February 1977, and it was finished in 1992.<br />
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There is a small guesthouse here with rooms that have attached bathrooms. These rooms are not always available, but they are quite nice if you can get one. To stay here you have to follow the ashram rules. There is a fairly basic vegetarian restaurant here.<br />
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<div style="background-color: #ffd966;"><b>Festivals</b></div>The end of January is the time when the Tribal Fair comes around. February to March, Shivaratri is held at the Lingaraj Temple, Hakateswar Temple Atri and throughout Orissa. Magha Saptami is held at Khandagiri outside Bhubaneshwar.<br />
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At Ashokashtami, during April/May, the idol of Lord Lingaraja is taken out in procession, part of a chariot festival. Panashankanti (Fire-walking) takes place in various areas on the first day of Baisakh. In June/July, the impressive Rath Yatra takes place at Puri, Baripada and other parts of the state. Kali Puja, in October/November, the city is lit with lamps. Bali Yatra in October/November, a fair is held on the banks of the Mahanadi river in Cuttack.<br />
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<div style="background-color: #f6b26b;"><b>How to Reach Bhubaneshwar</b></div><br />
<b>Air </b>: Biju Patnaik Airport is the main airport in Bhubaneshwar. The Airport is connected to cities of Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Mumbai.<br />
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<b>Rail :</b> Bhubaneshwar Railway Station is well-connected to major cities and town of India.<br />
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<b>Road</b> : Good networks of road connect Bhubaneshwar with Berhampur, Puri, Purkela, Sambalpur and other parts of the state.<br />
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<div style="background-color: #f6b26b;"><b>Accommodation</b></div>The hotels in Bhubaneshwar offer a wide array of choice for travellers. Famous hotels are<br />
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The New Marrion, Hotel Sishmo, Hotel Swosti, The Crown, Swosti Plaza, Hotel Keshari and Hotel Kalinga Ashok etc. </div>aksharahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17693090922136948325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-271649439583261918.post-90986007301179109232012-03-01T21:06:00.000-08:002012-03-01T21:06:40.090-08:00Vrindavan Pilgrimage<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhScFcSh1yleBoulPPH7hZ5T1GqF7xFESBOwKXOZoB992kuNmkaDdsVtyG7hy1EGYzI6WZf3_MMQrM6gZI3vBEYU_XP25yis4ys5beijQiolz_idMN-pCh19agSbKLjrdmxk7Vjo_rQdDjb/s1600/mathura.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhScFcSh1yleBoulPPH7hZ5T1GqF7xFESBOwKXOZoB992kuNmkaDdsVtyG7hy1EGYzI6WZf3_MMQrM6gZI3vBEYU_XP25yis4ys5beijQiolz_idMN-pCh19agSbKLjrdmxk7Vjo_rQdDjb/s320/mathura.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Vrindavan the birthplace of Lord Krishna is referred as 'Lila Bhumi', or the place where he revealed himself. It is here that Lord Krishna used to indulge in Raslila, the dance with Gopis, or milkmaids Govind Dev Temple is the most impressive building in Vrindavan and architecturally one of the most advanced Hindu temples in northern India. This temple was built in 1590 by Raja Man Singh of Amber in honour of the Divine Cowherd ( Krishna) but Aurangzeb lopped of the top four floors during one of his demolition sprees. Another important temple situated here is the Rangaji Temple whose architecture is a mixture of Rajput, South Indian and Italian style. Other temples in Vrindavan are the Krishna Balaram Temple, the Radha Ballabh Temple and the Madan Mohan Temple.<br />
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<div style="background-color: #ffd966;"><b>Attractions in the city</b></div><br />
<b>The Pagal Baba Temple </b>: This temple was built by Pagal Baba and has eleven stories in all. It is considered to be one of the more modern pieces of architecture. The temple's creator, Pagal Baba, died only a few years ago but his infectious spirit lingers on in the playfulness of his disciples who are ready to welcome the devotees into the temple interior.<br />
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<b>Bankey Bihari Temple</b> : The Bankey Bihari temple houses a sacred image of Krishna known as Thakkur Ji, which shows Krishna with an almost blackened body. This one of the most important and vibrant temples in the city where one can expect to see devotees engaged in simple acts of worship such as ecstatically clashing small cymbals together as they move in time to ancient rhythms.<br />
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<b>Rangaji Temple </b>: This temple dates to 1851 and is a mixture of architectural styles, comprising of a Rajput entrance gate, a soaring south Indian Gopuram (gateway tower), and an Italianate colonnade.<br />
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<b>Iskcon Temple </b>: This is one of the most splendid and most impressive temples in Vrindavan which was built with funds from devotees Vrindavan Tour Guide Indiaoverseas. The temple structure in itself is outstanding where the marble buildings almost radiate light and exhibit intricate carvings.<br />
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<div style="background-color: #f1c232;"><b>How to reach</b></div><br />
<b>By Air</b> : The nearest airport is Agra around 67 km away from Vrindavan. There are regular flights to other important tourist destinations of India such as Delhi, Mumbai, Varanasi , and Khajuraho. The nearest international airport is Delhi, which is connected to almost every important city in the world with major airlines.<br />
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<b>By Rail </b>: Though Vrindavan itself is a railway station, the major railway station nearby is Mathura on the Delhi-Chennai and Delhi-Mumbai main line. Several express trains connect Mathura from other major cities of India like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Calcutta , and Agra. Three local trains leave Mathura Junction each day ( 6.30 am, 3.40 pm & 7.40 pm) for the station in the south of Vrindavan.<br />
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<b>By Road</b> : Vrindavan is connected to Mathura and all other places of interest in Braj by bus services and is on direct road link from Delhi and Agra. Getting to Vrindavan from Mathura is very easy as there are frequent buses, shared tempos, and taxis available throughout the day.</div>aksharahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17693090922136948325noreply@blogger.com0