The charming affair for exploring offbeat and marvellous hidden spots continues non-stop with Gwalior and nearby Chambal Ravines. I had a day in hand and thankfully got a car to drive, so Chambal Ravines were again the natural choice for exploring some more unexplored spots. What else this Vagabond would have thought of when Life gave him a spare day and a vehicle to drive.
Shanichara Temple, Morena
Rameshwaram - Tracing the footsteps of Lord Ram
Mandore Gardens, Jodhpur
Around 1450, the capital seat was shifted to Mehrangarh Fort in order to protect the city and the residents from further attacks and invasions. However Mandore Gardens still stand high in pride to tell the glorious tales of the bygone eras seen by the Mandore. Though Mandore lost the prominence in 1459 CE as the capital seat shifted to Mehrangarh, but word abandoned cannot be used with the town. Mandore gardens have been well preserved to let visitors visualize/ imagine the glorious past of this ancient town.
Ancient temples, Cenotaphs of erstwhile Jodhpur rulers and an ancient tunnel makes an enriching trip to Mandore Gardens. Brilliant temples carved out of Sandstone are the first to get attention.
Collecting the ancient links at Bithoor
So got to know that the small town of Bithoor has both historical and religious importance. It is also believed that Lord Brahma selected Bithoor as his abode and performed Ashwmedh Yajna at this place. Because of which Bithoor came to be known as Brahmavart and the place where I was standing is known as Brahmvart Ghat. There is a small temple, “Brahma Khoonti” dedicated to Lord Brahma at the Brahmvart Ghat. It is so small that prayers are done from the outside only. As per Brahmvart Puran, this point is the centre point of the earth. Close your eyes to feel the divine vibes.
Maheshwar - Cultured by Ahilya Bai Holkar
Once the devil Ravana
took up a fight with King Sahastrabahu. However, the result did not go as per
his expectations and Ravana was taken as prisoner by king Sahastrabahu. The
place where Ravana was kept as prisoner is mentioned as “Mahishmati” in
Ramayana.
Yes, the same “Mahishmati” which was mentioned in blockbuster
movie Bahubali. But where this city Mahishmati is or had existed in the past? After
finished our exploration of Mandu, we
were all set to Maheshwar, 45 km. from Mandu situated along the banks of river
Narmada.
This small and peaceful town is noted for its mammoth Ghats, temples,
and Sarees. Lots of pilgrims and saints come here to offer prayers and worship
sacred river Narmada. Lot of Saints, why? Reason being - The mythological
city of Mahishmati “, is now known as Maheshwar. Our spirits soared to
unprecedented heights to realize that we were standing in legendary
mythological city of “Mahishmati”.
To thank the Gods for this fortunate trip, we went to the
banks of Narmada River for thanksgiving. That is the first thing to be done in
Maheshwar. Neat and clean mammoth structures alongside the Ghats (riverbanks)
will ensure every moment spent here is worth. Ahilya Ghat is the most prominent
place of worship on river Narmada.
LALITGIRI - The Pilgrimage from Ancient History!
Flourished under the patronage of legendary king Ashoka, the kingdoms of
Magadh and Kalinga became important centers from where Buddhism spread to the
outside world. Present day areas of Bihar-Jharkhand used to be the kingdom of
Magadh and parts of Odisha-Andhra Pradesh composed Kalinga kingdom. At their
peak these places were often referred as most prosperous regions on the earth
and were full of amazing temples and universities imparting ancient Indian
knowledge. However, with passage of time dust accumulated on these sites and
these places gradually faded out from the eye of common people. In fact, many
got buried with layers of earth and since then have been waiting to get
resurfaced in future.
With the development coming to these areas, many of these extinct places are coming to life. One of the such places I came to know during one of my visits to this part with lots and lots of things to discover was Lalitgiri. Lalitgiri is situated at a distance of 10 km. beyond the River Virupa in Cuttack district, about 90 km. from Bhubaneswar which is the capital of Odisha state. Excavations in this region have indicated towards existence of very ancient Buddhist complex. With the discovery of Lalitgiri, and stitching together the chronology of event with iconographical similarities, the timeline of Lalitgiri goes back to the 2nd century BC. Based on this, Lalitgiri can be safely considered as one of the most ancient Buddhist establishments. So, I was about to walk into one of the lost chapters in our history, with due excitement.
Bodhgaya - Where Lord Buddha attained Enlightenment...
Long
back a boy got so much disturbed on seeing the people suffering in the vicious
cycle of life and death. One fine day he left his house in search of divine
knowledge which can provide freedom from the cycle of life and death. The name
of the boy was prince Siddhartha. He travelled relentlessly across places in
search of that knowledge. Finally, he decided to sit in deep meditation to
attain that wisdom under a tree. Legend says the demons of darkness, illusion
and ignorance were unleashed onto him, but his wisdom conquered all the
devilish forces. By now prince Siddharth had become “Lord Buddha”, meaning the
Enlightened one. And the place where he attained the enlightenment was
Bodhgaya.
Far
from the eyes of the popular travel itineraries lies the town of Bodhgaya, the
most revered destination for Buddhists worldwide. Mahabodhi temple complex
is the spot where Buddha had attained enlightenment. It is one of the earliest
built Buddhist temples, still standing.
References found shows that the temple was initially built by king Ashoka around 246 BC and was further revamped in 5th -6th century during reign of Gupta dynasty. The main temple is 50 m. high structure built entirely in brick is a classic example of ancient Indian architecture.
Hampi - Majestic ruins of the lost era...
“The city is such
that the pupil of eye has never seen a place like it and the ear of
intelligence has never been informed that there existed anything to equal it in
the world”
- wondered by a traveller, Abdur Razzak from Persia who
visited the Vijayanagara in 1443 AD.
"Roses are sold everywhere and are an intricate part of life of people
here, as necessary as food. Each strata of society/ class has shops adjacent to
one another; the jewellers sell pearls, rubies, emeralds, and diamonds. In this
agreeable locality, as well as in the king's palace, one sees numerous running
streams and canals formed of chiseled stone, polished and smooth." This
show cases the heights of equality the society has achieved where each
profession was duly respected without any discrimination.
With awesome landscape along the banks of Tungabhadra
River, Hampi was the capital of mighty Vijayanagara kingdom. The era of
Vijayanagara empire has been often called as the most prosperous region ever to
have happened on this earth. The Vijayanagara kings were great patrons of
art and made Hampi flourishing centre of Indian culture.
There were opulent palaces, marvelous temples, massive fortifications, baths, markets, aqua ducts, pavilions, stables for royal elephants and elegant pillars. The word "Grand" seems too small in this region. To begin with, check out one of the important ceremonial structures of royal use:
Above structure, Mahanavami Dibba or Dasara Dibba was
constructed by Krishnadevaraya after his victory on Udaigiri. This platform was
used by royals to watch "Mahanavami Festival", "Dussehra
Festival", army march past and any procession. This GRAND, three tiered 8-metre-high
stone platform is located to the northeast of the royal enclosure. Built in
granite in 16th century AD, the platform is
nearly 35 sq mts and has steps on the East, West, and South. Platform has
sculptures depicting the socio-cultural activities of the time in the typical
Vijayanagara style of architecture. Get ready to explore Hampi.
45 minutes’ drive from Toranagallu (35 Km.) took us
to Queen’s Palace, a palace where royal ladies used to take
bath. This is the first spot in line to Hampi exploration...
The roof top of the temple is almost matching the ground level (check the ground level on the other side of this temple), due to which the sanctum and the inner side of the temple is always flooded with water. Reasons for such a construction are still unknown. Prevailing legends say that there is a hidden water source beneath the temple. During monsoon season water level rises in the temple. When the water level recedes below a certain level, a further down cellar room becomes visible, however whom so ever has tried to go inside that room has never been seen again. As per the myth there resides a big snake which is protecting the temple. Guys, enter at your own risk.
The temple was buried for over 400 years before it was
discovered in the 1980’s. Looks like this the private temple of
the Royal family members for their private ceremonies, as it is very near
to noblemen’s quarters.
Only a few steps and few minutes in Hampi and I have been completely
floored by the unique charm of this place. Next spot in line is Henkuta Hill
and the amazing world of temples here. Just below the Hemkuta hill is
the Laxmi-Narsimha temple. Carved out of granite stone in 1528
AD during the reign of Krishna Deva Raya, this 6.7 metre statue still retains
its original charm. Lord Narsimha is seated on divine snake
"Adishesh" which is also forming the hood over the head of Lord Narsimha. Observe
this statue, one can see a feminine hand on the left part of the torse. As
told by localites it is the hand of Goddess Laxmi.
This beautiful statue was vandalized and broken by the invaders in 1565 AD, broken portions are still visible. But the glow in the eyes of Lord Narsimha is still intact.
Adjacent to Laxmi Narsimha temple is Badavilinga-temple: Legend has it that this was
commissioned by a peasant woman and hence the name (Badva means poor in local
tongue). Base of this Shivlinga is always under water.
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Bouldered temple Lord Ganesha Statue with snake tied around Belly |
Lord Ganesha'a love for food is widely admired. As per the legends one fine
day, Lord Ganesa ate so much that his tummy was about to explode. To save
his tummy, he just caught a snake from the ground and tied it around his
stomach to prevent his tummy from bursting. Snake tied around
his tummy is visible in the statue.
Just in front of Sasivekalu Ganesha shrine you can see a huge site map of Hampi installed by the archaeology department.
Moving ahead we are on Hemkuta hill, the best place in the region to watch Sunset and the amazing world of temples. Hemkuta hill is a paradise for art lovers, numerous structures are carved out of beautiful images of Gods and Goddesses.
- Nearest railhead is Hospet, 13 km away and Toranagallu station, 25 Kms. There are about 10 daily trains and about 5 special trains to the station, which run once or twice a week. From Bangalore, Hampi Express is the best option.
- Nearest Airport is Bangalore, around 350 Km. from Hampi
- Hampi is well connected by roads to almost every nearby city. Staying options are available at Toranagallu or Hampi.
Sarnath - Where Lord Buddha first preached...
The Holy city of Varanasi has been a
symbol of spiritualism for thousands of years and has been a centre of
enlightenment and awakening for many great thinkers and preachers. Almost all
the renowned saints/ personalities like Gautam Buddha, Mahavira, Kabir, Tulsi
Das, Adi Shankaracharya, Ramanuja and Patanjali have been associated with this
city in one way or other.
Lord Buddha too started his journey from this place. After Lord
Buddha has attained enlightenment in Bodh Gaya he came
to "Sarnath", located 10 kms. from Varanasi.
This was the fortunate place where Lord Buddha gave the first teachings of
what enlightened the world as "Buddhism".
On reaching Sarnath, the first monument to come our way is the CHAUKHANDI
STUPA. Stupa is a huge mound of brickwork whose square edifice is
surrounded by an octagonal tower. What a gigantic structure this is...? Construction
of such a huge structure with only brick work might not get approval in present
times:
Varanasi - Divine blessings in the land of temples
........................ is older than history, older
than tradition, older even than legend, and looks twice as old as all of them
put together.....By Mark Twain
This is a city renowned for its religious and artistic activities since times immemorial. This city has been a cultural centre of India since several thousands of years and as per the available historical details this city is older than most of the religions in the World.
Its none other than one of the most colourful, spiritual, and charismatic places in India, welcome to "VARANASI", also known as KASHI or BENARAS. Place where temples outdo the number of people, Varanasi is one of the most spectacular and visited cities on this earth. Considered to be auspicious by the presence of "Lord Shiva" this sacred place is believed to have the power of washing away all the sins; those who die and gets cremated here is liberated from the cycle of life and death and attains " मोक्ष (Moksha)".
Back to Rishikesh...
There is something about "Rishikesh, the DEVBHOOMI, Land of God" which keeps on calling the visitors again and again. Land is bestowed with eternal charm: "Spiritualism" coupled with unparalleled Natural splendour leaves visitors spellbound.
Rishikesh, sometimes nicknamed "the world capital of Yoga", has
numerous yoga centres that also attract tourists. It is believed
that meditation in Rishikesh brings one closer to attainment
of moksha, as does a dip in the holy river that flows through
it.