DWARKA, GUJRAT

DWARKA-

Dwarkedheesh temple

The holy city  of Dwarka is counted among the seven most sacred religious places and is also considered  the gateway to moksha. Archaeological explorations revealed the existence of this city some 9000 years ago.  The Dwarkedheesh temple is central to Dwarka's topography and a real architectural masterpiece. It is believed that the grand Dwarkedheesh temple  was built by the  Krishna's grand son  in the lord's honour.

The 52 yard long flag flying at the top of sanctum is changed thrice everyday. Witness the unique flag changing ceremony when the priest climb to the top of Shikhara and change the flag.  The temple is beside the Gomti river, with a bridge on it  named after Sudama.

It is believed that the visit of Dwarka is incomplete if one does not visit the temple of Devi Rukmanee This temple is unique and solely dedicated to Mata Rukmanee, wife of Lord Krishna. Before you enter the temple, priest will narrate the story and significance of this temple. People devote pure drinking water to seek her blessings. 

Dwarka is an ancient city located on the western tip of Saurashtra peninsula. Dwarka is  mentioned in a number of religious texts such as Vishnu Puran, Skand Puran ,Mahabharat and Srimad Bhagwat Gita. Marine scientists and underwater archaeologists have also discovered the submerged remains of the ancient Dwarka 

The Bhet Dwarka is an island located in the Gulf of Kutch where Lord Krishna met his childhood friend Sudama and welcomed him. You have to take ferry from Okha port to reach this place. The island contains some really old temple sites.

Nageshwar Jyotirlinga temple, situated a bit out side the city, is a must visit place in Dwarka. This is one of the twelve Jyotirlinga shrines mentioned in Shiv-Puran. Various types of pujas are performed for the devotees and these are displayed in the temple hall. A big and magnificent statue of lord Shiva is nearby.

 During your visit to Dwarka, you may  like to visit Gopi Talab and Gomti Ghat, which are also known for their historical significance

AYODHYA

AYODHYA-

Ayodhya is a very ancient and holy city in the Faizabad district of Uttar Pradesh. It is located about 134 km East of Lucknow. This is one of the seven such holy cities in India, commonly known as "SAPTPURIES". It is said that Ayodhya was founded by Manu, who received it as a gift from Lord Vishnu. Being the birthplace of Lord Rama, Ayodhya is dotted with several important temples. Sites of pilgrim interest are spread out all over Ayodhya.

Traditionally the pilgrimage to Ayodhya starts from Hanuman Garhi, which is a very old temple dedicated to Lord Hanuman. The entrance is accessed by a  regular flight of 76 steps. The main temple contains the sacred idol of Mata  Anjani with Bal Hanuman seated on her lap.

The Ram Janambhumi  is under heavy security and you have to go through several check points to reach this holy site. There are small idols of Lord Rama, Lakshaman, Bharat and Shatrughan  kept under a canopy in a open space. Presently a make shift shrine stands on the place of Ram Janambhoomi,where a distant darshan of the deities can be had.

Situated on the banks of holy river Saryu, Guptar Ghat is a revered site for all devotees. It is widely believed that this is  the place where Lord Rama while taking a dip in the river took a Jal-Samadhi  and left for his heavenly abode. The other important Ghats are Ram Ghat and Lakshman Ghat.
Kanak Bhavan is a very important, magnificent and a must see temple dedicated to Lord Rama. It is believed that the Bhavan (Palace) was gifted by the queen Kaikeyi to Devi Sita as her wedding gift. Once the temple was made up of gold but there after it was restored several times. Even now this is the most beautiful and attractive structure in the entire city.
Dasharath Mahal, not for away from Hanuman Garhi is another important place to visit. This is also an impressive and peaceful temple dedicated to Lord Rama and Sita.
The Nageshwarnath temple is another very old and significant shrine situated very close to  the bank of holy river Saryu. It is said that this temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva was built by Kush, the son of Lord Rama.
While in Ayodhya, you may also like to visit Tulsi Smarak Bhavan and Ram Katha Museum.
Ayodhya is also  a very significant and revered place for the followers of Jainism as it is  the birth place of Lord Rishabh Dev (Sri Adinathji),the first Tirthankara and preacher of Jainism.

UJJAIN IN MADHYA PRADESH

UJJAIN-

Ujjain (also known as Ujjaeiyni) is an ancient city located on the banks of the holy river Shipra. Nearest airport is Devi Ahilya Bai International Airport Indore which is about 55km from Ujjain. 

One of the twelve Jyotirlingas, Mahakaleshwar is the presiding deity of the entire Malwa region. Each day thousands of devotees from all over the world flock here to get a glimpse of deity and offer prayers to seek his blessing, peace and divinity. The temple is located at the heart of Ujjain and is supposed to be one of the most sacred Shiva temples in India. The deity in black stone is Dakshinmukhi, facing the south. This is a unique and very significant feature to tantrik traditions to be found  only in Mahakaleshwar among all the 12 Jyotirlingas. Various Aartis are performed every day among such Bhasma Aarti is one of the prominent rituals performed every morning at 4 A.M. that one must attend while visiting this temple. The sacred idols of Devi Parvati, Kartikeya and Ganesha  are also installed in the sanctum. The idol of the Nagchandreshwar, located on the third storey of the temple is open for darshan only on the day of  Nagpanchami. There are small temples of several other deities situated in the temple courtyard, among them devotees do visit the temple of Shakshi Gopalji, as it is said that he keeps the record of every blessed devotee who reaches this shrine. The ambiance in and around the temple is very spiritual.

Harsiddhi temple is an other very important temple and a major seat of Shakti sect. In this temple  Goddess Annapurna, Harsiddhi and Kali are placed one above the other. A Sri yantra is also in this temple. There are two very big Deep -Stambhas  at the entrance of the temple. It is recommended to visit in  the evening when they light the oil lamps in such Deep -Stambhas

Located about 2 km  north of Mahakaleshwar, Gadkalika temple is an other sacred shrine devoted to Goddess Kalika. The deity in this temple is believed to have been worshiped by the  famous poet and sanskrit scholar Kalidas. Kalidas is widely regarded as the greatest poet and dramatist of classical literature. A must visit place in Ujjain

The Kal Bhairav temple is another very old temple having a lot of mythological prominence. The uniqueness of this temple is that here the deity is also offered liquor besides other offerings like coconut and flowers etc. Kal Bhairav is regarded as the guardian deity  of this city.

The Gopal temple in Ujjain, dedicated to Lord Krishna is also a must visit place. The temple is ancient having a peaceful surroundings. The temple is enclosed by a high wall, pierced by a decorated gateway. Architect is mesmerizing with the stories of Lord Krishna depicted on the walls through beautiful pictures. 

Situated outside the city, Chintaman Ganesh temple is an other very popular temple. The temple is ancient having a peaceful surroundings. The sacred idol of Lord Ganesha is believed to be swayambhu (self manifested). This is such a place of worship where all the tensions and worries of devotees are removed.
Ujjain has always been a place of learning. Sandipani Ashram is an other important place where Lord Krishna and his Brahmin friend Sudama  are said to have received their early education from Guru Sandipani.
Considered as a very sacred,  river Shipra flows by Ujjain. Ujjain is also one of the sites of the Kumbh Mela uniquely known as Simhastha Mahaparva which is a mega spiritual, religious and cultural festival.

THE TEMPLE OF GOLDEN BUDDHA IN BANGKOK -

The temple of Golden Buddha commonly known as Phra Sukhothai Traimit  is located near the Chinatown in Bangkok. This temple is famous for the mesmerising  more than 3 meters tall having 5 tons of solid gold, a very  graceful statue of Lord Buddha .It is believed that the this image of Golden Buddha was built in the Sukhothai period and is at least more than 700 years old. The entrance ticket for foreigners is 40 baht and the temple remains open from 8.00 A,M, to 5.00 P.M.    

This beautiful idol is believed to have been built during the Sukhothai period and later it was moved from Sukhothai city to Ayutthaya. It is said that to prevent the statue from stolen and for the safety of the image, it was completely plastered to hide its precious gold and was placed at Wat Phraya Krai. When  king Rama-1 established Bangkok  as the capital city, he ordered several of  Buddha statues from north to be brought to Bangkok and started the construction of new temples.
During the period of king Rama-111,the image still covered with stucco was taken to the Wat Chotanaram  in Bangkok. In the 1930's, the image was moved to nearby Wat Traimit but at that time there was no proper place to house this statue therefore it remained under a temporary shed for several years. Thereafter a new vihara was built to house this statue. When the Golden Buddha was being moved to  its new building, a heavy rain on it's site soaked the stucco. In an attempt to lift the statue the ropes broke resulting the fall of statue in the mud and revealing the gold surface from the crack of the plaster. Next morning when a temple monk visited the place, he surprisingly discovered the statue which was actually made of pure gold. Pieces of the stucco that once hid this beautiful image have been safely kept and are also on public display.
Wat Traimit,which houses the world's largest Golden Buddha, is a favourite site for all the tourists visiting Thailand.This is also a cultural and religious site in Bangkok. Tourists may also visit the museum located in this temple complex. Some of the photographs of the Phra Sukhothai Traimit are as follows-

GOLDEN BUDDHA

WAT TRAIMIT

THE TEMPLE OF RECLINING BUDDHA (WAT PHO) IN BANGKOK -

Wat Pho  is a big temple complex near the The Grand Palace. This is a spiritual & cultural centre and one of Bangkok's must see attractions.  The entrance fee for foreigner's is 100 bhat and you can visit the temple at any time between 08 A.M to 05 P.M.This is the largest and oldest  temple complex in Bangkok The temple of Reclining Buddha is located in the north western corner of the Wat Pho. The temple complex shelters so many images of Lord Buddha but  the highlight is the great, magnificent and impressive image of the Reclining Buddha. The idol is 46 meters in length and 15 meters in height decorated with mother-of pearl inlays on his eyes and soles of his feet.This image of Lord Buddha represents his entry into Nirvana. In the corridor,you may also drop coins in the 108 bowls which represents the 108 auspicious characters of Lord Buddha. This is a revered place so you will need to take your shoes off before entering the main temple.It is believed that the worshipping of the Reclining Buddha brings peace and happiness.Visitors are also expected to wear appropriate clothing during the visit of this temple.

It is also believed that Wat Pho is also the birthplace of traditional Thai message and houses a traditional medicine and massage school,This is a good place to learn and experience the Thai massage  and traditional medicine.

Besides the image of Reclining Buddha,there are several other significant images of Lord Buddha with in the different assembly halls located in this temple complex. Phra Buddha Lokanat  is an image of presiding Buddha in standing position, Phra Buddha Chinnasri is a marvelous image of seated Buddha protected by seven headed serpent. Phra Buddha Palilai is an other image of  presiding Buddha. The idol of Phra Buddha Maravichai depicts his attaining the enlightenment under the Bodhi tree. Bodhi tree, still located in Bodh-Gaya, is an auspicious place in the Bihar province of India. Phra Buddha Chinnaraj shows an image in which the Lord Buddha is giving his first sermon. Phra Buddha Theva Patimakorn is an other magnificent image of Lord Buddha located in Phra Ubosot, the ordinance hall which is also regarded as a sacred place. All these images are worth seeing.
Some of the photographs of Wat Pho  are as  follows-

THE IMAGE OF RECLINING BUDDHA

THE IMAGE OF RECLINING BUDDHA

TEMPLE COMPLEX

MAP OF TEMPLE COMPLEX

IMAGES OF LORD BUDDHA

TEMPLE COMPLEX

LORD BUDDHA IN ASSEMBLY HALL

TEMPLE COMPLEX

KAMAKHYA TEMPLE IN GUWAHATI-

KAMAKHYA TEMPLE IN GUWAHATI-

This temple is located in Guwahati,the land of Kamrupa and the capital city of Assam. Guwahati is well connected from Delhi as well as from kolkata. During our visit to Guwahati,we took a direct flight of Indigo from New Delhi and stayed there in hotel Kiranshree Portico. The staff of the hotel was very cordial and helped us to chalk our short visit  tour. 

The  holy temple of Goddess Kamakhya is one of the foremost Shaktipeeth,a great place of Shakti-worship and this shrine is  also believed to be the granter of all desire. The temple is situated on the sacred Nilanchal hill. The  architecture of the temple is typical Nilanchal type with a hemispherical dome. The temple  consists of four chambers the garbhgriha and three mandaps  known as calanta, pancaratna and natamandira. The importance and religious significance of the temple has been described in the Kalika Purana. This shrine  is associated with Tantra-Puja and is also known  as a centre for the followers of Tantrik tenent.

It is believed that while performing an important YAGNA in Kankhal- Haridwar, Daksha Prajapati,the father of Sati, intentionally did not invited Lord Shiva in the religious gathering  so the Goddess Sati felt insulted ,sacrificed her life and jumped in to the flames. Afterwards when the whole  incident came in the knowledge of Lord Shiva, he instructed  his GANAS to destroy the Yagna and to punish the Daksha Prajapati. He then roamed throughout the Indian sub continent, Sati still in his hand. It is said that parts of her body fell in 51 places and such sacred sites are revered as the 51 Shaktipeeth.

The Kamakhya Debutter Board is the body responsible for carrying out the administrative functions such as  providing security and cleanliness of the temple. The board also manages a Sanskrit school.
The source of fund for the welfare of the temple is received through donations and collections from  darshan tickets that are Rs.501/- and Rs.101/-.Only Hindus are allowed entry into the temple.

Some of  other important  temples in Guwahati are temple of Goddess Bhubaneshwari at the peak of Neelanchal Parvat, the 400 years old Umananda temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva in the Peacock Island,the Nabbgrah temple, the 18th century Ugratara temple and the Aswaklanta temple. Nabhgrah temple is unique and one of its kind in the whole of North-East. This is located at the top of Chitranchal hill where each graha (Planet) is represented in a form of Shiva Linga. Bashistha Ashram is a quite scenic retreat with small temples near the confluence of  Lalita, Sandhya and Kanta streams and is said to be the ancient site of the Ashram of Rishi Bashistha. 

Visitors may purchase handicrafts,woodcraft and range of hand loom items from the shops run by Assam Apex Weavers & Artisans Co-Operative Federation Ltd Guwahati at a reasonable price. During a visit to Guwahati, you may like to visit the famous Kaziranga National Park. This is a world heritage site and is inhibited by the world largest population of one horned rhinoceroses. 

Some of the photographs of Kamakhya temple and Nabhgraha temple are as follows-

                                                       

The  holy temple of Kamakhya 

The main entrance of Kamakhya temple

The  holy temple of Kamakhya

The  holy temple of Kamakhya

The Nabbgrah temple

A view of Brahmaputra river from Nabbgrah temple

PADMANABHASWAMY TEMPLE IN TIRUVANTHPURAM-

PADMANABHA  SWAMY TEMPLE IN TIRUVANTHPURAM-

   

This temple is located in the Tiruvanthpuram, the capital city of the state of Kerala. The Tiruvanthpuram takes its name from the "Anantha" which means the endless, the supreme God Lord Padmanabha. The fort which encloses the temple is in the south of the city. The temple in its present form was built in the eighteen century by the erstwhile ruler of Travancore King Martand Varma,who being a true devotee, dedicated his entire kingdom to Lord Padmanabha Swamy and vowed to serve the state  on behalf of Lord like a Padmanabha Dasa. This is a very significant and sacred shrine, the importance of which has been described in several religious books. The temple is about 6 kms from the Tiruvanthpuram Airport. 

The temple has a seven tier "Gopuram" and stands by the side of Padma Theertham (the holy tank). The temple complex has an eighty feet high Dhawja Stambh near the eastern corridor. In the sanctum or the Garbhgriha, the deity is seen reclining on Anantha, the five hooded holy serpent and can be seen through three different doors. The idol of Lord Padmanabha (Maha Vishnu) is  about 18 feet long and said to contain 12008 Salagrams or sacred stones which were collected in Nepal from the bed of river Gandaki.  

The sacred idol of the presiding deity is unique and mesmerising,where the Brahma is seated on a lotus rising from Vishnu's navel and a Shivlingam is sheltered by the Vishnu's right hand .
 Besides the main temple of Lord Padmanabha Swamy, there are several other small temples located inside the temple complex. Among such, large gathering of devotees can also be seen in the temples of Shri Narsimha Swamy and Shri Krishna Swamy .

The shrine dedicated to Narsimha,who assumes the form of man and lion, is small but the deity is believed to be highly potent. It is said that people have heard the roar of a lion from within the temple. Narsimha Swamy is supposed to be the fourth incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The temple of Lord Krishna is beautifully carved. It is believed that the marvellous granite  idol  of Lord Krishna was brought from Gujrat by the Krishna's descendants.

As per tradition, only Hindus are permitted inside the temple. While entering the temple, men are required to remain bare chested and need to wear dhoti or muddu. Women also need to wear Sari.Photography inside the main temple is also not allowed. Arrangements are there to deposit Clothes,camera and electronic gadgets in the cloakroom. 

Visitors may purchase handicrafts, sandalwood figures, antiques and  range of hand loom items from the  nearby market.

Devotees visiting this holy shrine may also visit Kanyakumari which is about 87 kms. from Thiruvantpuram and is also known for the famous Kanyakumari Amman Temple. 

 Temple of Lord Padmanabha Swamy