1. AHMEDABAD
Our Gujarat tour was the most memorable one. We first landed in Ahmedabad, the fifth largest city of India located on the banks of the River Sabarmati, a historical fortified city with an outer wall of 10 km in circumference and consisting of twelve gates. Nine bridges on the river Sabarmati connect the two physically separated eastern and western regions. We visited the famous Sabarmati Ashram established by Mahatma Gandhi on the banks of the Sabarmati. The city was full of neem trees and the architecture of Ahmedabad ranges from the ancient Persian to the very modern I.I.M. designed by Louis Kahn. We visited popular Law Garden, Victoria Garden and Bal Vatika gardens in the city and the man-made Lake Kankaria, one of the biggest lakes in Ahmedabad. The Gandhi and Sardar National Memorials have permanent displays of photographs, documents and other articles relating to Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel. We saw the wonderful Shaking Minarets, situated adjacent to the railway line. " Jhulta Minarets" remains still a mystery to the most elite technocrats of modern era. These towers move back and forth if one imparts a slight push on the top most arch of the towers. Hence it got the name Jhulta Minarets, which means swaying towers.
Teen Darwaza, the domed lovely arches in the entry gates, of carved stone works facing the majestic Bhadra Fort, adorned with Intricate carvings, lattice works and lovely frescos is a wonderful construction of craftsmanship, architectural grandeur and technical expertise. It is learnt that Jahangir and Noorjahan were very fond watching the colourful pageants from the palace to the nearby Jama Masjid. Teen Darwaza happens to be a crowd puller in the city
We visited the I.I.M.(A) and attended the convocation ceremony of our son when Manmohan Singh, then Finance Minister was the Chief Guest.
Teen Darwaza, the domed lovely arches in the entry gates, of carved stone works facing the majestic Bhadra Fort, adorned with Intricate carvings, lattice works and lovely frescos is a wonderful construction of craftsmanship, architectural grandeur and technical expertise. It is learnt that Jahangir and Noorjahan were very fond watching the colourful pageants from the palace to the nearby Jama Masjid. Teen Darwaza happens to be a crowd puller in the city
We visited the I.I.M.(A) and attended the convocation ceremony of our son when Manmohan Singh, then Finance Minister was the Chief Guest.
-------------------------------------------------
2. GANDHINAGAR AKSHARDAM TEMPLE
We drove to Gandhinagar Akshardham temple, one of the largest temples of Gujarat. The architectural grandeur and exquisite carvings of idols make it the most bewitching sight. You feel like walking somewhere out of this world. The temple complex combines devotions, architecture, education, exhibitions, art, video shows, 'Journey through India' and 'sound-n-light' shows with an amazing wealth of wisdom, culture and spirituality. Walk-through dioramas and fiberglass figures displaying the message of the Upanishads, Ramayana and Mahabharata, replica of the Hastinapur palace, etc., are the major attractions of Akshardham. When you walk through these settings which are so realistic with light and sound effect, you feel as though you are actually there experiencing the situation. It was an unforgettable and fulfilling experience.
---------------------------------------------------------
3. RAJKOT
We drove to RAJKOT city and saw the house where Gandhiji's father, Karamchand Uttanchand Gandhi resided at Rajkot, serving as Diwan (Prime Minister) to the King. Gandhiji himself spent a few years of his early life here during 1880s. This is a typical Saurashtra 'dela' type house with a central approach from an arched gateway. Other interesting places seen in Rajkot some Dargahs, Swaminarayan Gurukul, Ramakrishna Aashram and the Swaminarayan Temple.
---------------------------------------------------------
4. J U N A G A D H
We reached JUNAGAD, originally built during the Mauryan dynasty by Chandragupta. We visited the famous ZOO of purebred Asiatic lions providing captive breeding program for the critically endangered species and also the only zoo in the country to hold African Cheetahs. I cannot forget those majestic and royal lions living in cages. The zoo also has a museum of natural history. We also saw the 19th Century Royal Monuments of Junagadh, famous for its intricate architecture. Durbar Hall Museum is another famous tourist attraction displaying collections of weapons and armor, belonging to the period of the Junagadh Nawabs along with other curios and artifacts like silver chains, chandeliers, thrones, palanquins etc.,
Girnar mountain near the Junagadh city, has five principal peaks. It has roughly 8,000 steps. The Gorakhnath peak, at 3,800 ft above sea level, is the highest point of Gujarat state. The other peaks are famous for temples of Ambaji, Gorakhnath and Dattatreya. The path to Dattatreya temple is difficult, but on the top of the peak is a small temple on the padukas of Guru Dattatreya. The best time to start ascending is early morning. It is formidable and daunting to climb the hills. The fear of lions of the Gir Forest straying into our route was a constant threat.The Gir Forest Wildlife Sanctuary, the sole home of the Asiatic Lions, is the most important protected areas in Asia. The recent census recorded the lion-count in Gir at 456.
Girnar mountain near the Junagadh city, has five principal peaks. It has roughly 8,000 steps. The Gorakhnath peak, at 3,800 ft above sea level, is the highest point of Gujarat state. The other peaks are famous for temples of Ambaji, Gorakhnath and Dattatreya. The path to Dattatreya temple is difficult, but on the top of the peak is a small temple on the padukas of Guru Dattatreya. The best time to start ascending is early morning. It is formidable and daunting to climb the hills. The fear of lions of the Gir Forest straying into our route was a constant threat.The Gir Forest Wildlife Sanctuary, the sole home of the Asiatic Lions, is the most important protected areas in Asia. The recent census recorded the lion-count in Gir at 456.
------------------------------------------------------
5. P O R B A N D A R
We had a long drive along the coastal roads enjoying the scenery, relishing fresh coconut water available in plenty on the way and energizing ourselves. We reached Porbandar, the coastal city of Saurashtra coast and princely state of Kathiawar. Porbandar is an ancient city datng back to 14th century BC Harappan legacy and perhaps best known for being the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi and Sudama ( friend of Lord Krishna ). It was thrilling to walk through the busy streets and reach the famed house where Mahathma Gandhi was born. This building has three stories. We went inside all the rooms. A symbol of Swastik, in one of the rooms in the ground floor of the building, demarcates the actual place where Gandhi took birth. It is said that Mahatma Gandhi lived here till the age of twelve. The upper story of the temple which houses Gandhi's room and a Gandhian library is connected by a wooden staircase. There is also a big prayer room, a nursery and a spire. The spire has a vast collection of pictures depicting the life of Mahatma Gandhi. It also has various pictures of his wife Kasturba Gandhi. 
I recalled my childhood, when I garlanded the Mahathma as a boy in the Forties, carried on the shoulders of my father. The area around Mahatma Gandhi's home appears to be renovated to become a temple of peace.
I recalled my childhood, when I garlanded the Mahathma as a boy in the Forties, carried on the shoulders of my father. The area around Mahatma Gandhi's home appears to be renovated to become a temple of peace.The Sudama Mandir is a beautiful shrine dedicated to Sudama, located in the center of the city; the only temple in India dedicated to this ardent childhood friend and devotee of Lord Krishna. I was particularly attracted by the herds of horned cows of the area who looked so different and graceful, reminding me of Krishna the sheperd boy.
--------------------------------------------------
6. D W A R K A
DWARKA one of seven most holy places for Hindus in India, was the highlight of our tourist destination. This is the place where Krishna lived. This is the place where Krishna used to reside and this is the place where Lord Krishna met his friend Sudama and blessed him. There is a Peetha (Seat) where Lord Krishna met Sudama. According to the legend, Lord Krishna left his birth place Mathura and came to this place where he declared Dwarka as his capital and settled down with his Yadava clan. Here he constructed the golden city and named it as Kushasthali or Dwaravati which later came to be known as Dwarka. The original temple was believed to have been built by Krishna's great grandson, King Vajra. The Dwarkanath Temple of Dwarka is the holiest temples of the Hindus. The temple has the main Dwarkadish diety which was believed to have been made by Queen Rukmini and in which Meera bai merged and disappeared from the material world. Dwarka is mentioned in the Puranas and Mahabharata. It is said in the Vishnu Purana that on the day when Krishna departed from the earth, the powerful dark Kali Age descended. The oceans rose and submerged the whole of Dwarka. According to the evidence of the archaeological excavations, the present day Dwarka is said to be one of the 6 cities on this site, the five of which were submerged in the Arabian Sea. The original temples were destroyed during the 11th century by Muslim armies and frequently rebuilt. Bet Dwarka is famous for its temples dedicated to Lord Krishna and is of great importance in the ancient Hindu tradition. Dwarkadish temple dates back to 2500 years and the Mandir has its own hall of audience and a conical spire. The Dwarkanath Temple in Dwarka is a five-storied temple. The exterior of the Dwarkanath Temple is endorsed by 60 columns which is crowned by a soaring, elaborately carved spire. The spire rises to a height of 157 feet and is intrinsically carved.
Bet Dwarka is located about 30 kilometers north of Dwarka, on an island in the middle of the Arabian Sea. Bet Dwarka is situated next to the coastal town of Okha from where we hired a boat to go there. We entered the temple through river side which has 52 steps. In Dwaraka, there are also shrines for Vasudeva, Devaki, Balarama and Revati, Subhadra, Rukmini Devi, Jambavati Devi and Satyabhama Devi.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
We also visited the place where Sri Krishna left this planet earth with His own body and reached Sri Vaikuntham. The place where He left this world is called Prabhasa theertham near Veraval (the junction point where Gomathi river joins the sea) located on the banks of Hiran on Prabhaspatan-Veraval road at a distance of 1.5km from Somnath temple. There is a beautiful idol of Lord Shri Krishna in meditating form. The peepal tree is also seen outside the main temple. This is the place where the arrow of Jara poacher hit Lord Krishna while he was meditating under a peepal tree. He had mistaken the shining mark of the foot of Lord Krishna and shot arrow. Lord Krishna pardoned Jara and walked away to the bank of Hiren river and left the mundane world. We plunged into the sangam of the river into the sea and took holy bath. Quite a spiritual experience.
----------------------------------------------------------
7 SOMNATH TEMPLE
Somnath means "The Protector of Moon God" and first among the twelve Aadi Jyotirlings shrines of the God Shiva. The Somnath Temple has been looted of its wealth or destroyed many times by Islamic kings and rulers, Mahmud of Ghazni In 1024, and Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb In 1701. It is said that when Aurangazeb was staring at the tall temple, his crown fell off which infuriated him and he tried to destroy the temple but could not do so and left it half ruined. The present temple is the seventh temple reconstructed on the original site in 1951, by KM Munshi and Sardar Vallabai Patel. The present temple is built in the Chalukya style of temple architecture and the shikhara, or main spire, is 150 feet in height, and it has a 27 ft tall flag pole at the top. The temple is situated at such a place that there is no land in straight-line between Somnath seashore till Antarctica. Such an inscription in Sanskrit is found on the Arrow-Pillar called Baan-Stambh erected on the sea-protection wall at the Somnath Temple. This Baan-Stambh mentions that it stands at a point on the Indian landmass, which happens to be the first point on land in the north to the south-pole on that particular longitude. The temple is awesome. Standing tall right on the shore of the beach, it makes for a grand picture. The inner precincts are inspiring. The temple carvings are marvelous and so was the inner sanctum. We went during the time of the evening Aarti, along unending queue of pilgrims. We strolled around in the temple admiring the architecture. I was very keen to swim in the Arabian Sea near the temple but decided otherwise after seeing the warning notices planted in the beach. We had a joy ride on Camels for the first time in the beach, as a consolation. Triveni Ghat in Somanth is the confluence of three holy rivers Kapil, Hiran and a mystical River Saraswaty (also known as Gupt Saraswati). LEGEND
[ As per Shiv Mahapuran, once Brahma and Vishnu had an argument in terms of supremacy of creation.To test them, Shiva pierced the three worlds as a huge endless pillar of light, the jyotirlinga. Vishnu and Brahma split their ways to downwards and upwards respectively to find the end of the light in either directions. Brahma lied that he found out the end, while Vishnu conceded his defeat. Shiva appeared as a second pillar of light and cursed Brahma that he would have no place in ceremonies while Vishnu would be worshipped till the end of eternity. The jyotirlinga is the supreme partless reality, out of which Shiva partly appears. The jyothirlinga shrines, thus are places where Shiva appeared as a fiery column of light ]
------------------------------------------------------
6. D W A R K A
DWARKA one of seven most holy places for Hindus in India, was the highlight of our tourist destination. This is the place where Krishna lived. This is the place where Krishna used to reside and this is the place where Lord Krishna met his friend Sudama and blessed him. There is a Peetha (Seat) where Lord Krishna met Sudama. According to the legend, Lord Krishna left his birth place Mathura and came to this place where he declared Dwarka as his capital and settled down with his Yadava clan. Here he constructed the golden city and named it as Kushasthali or Dwaravati which later came to be known as Dwarka. The original temple was believed to have been built by Krishna's great grandson, King Vajra. The Dwarkanath Temple of Dwarka is the holiest temples of the Hindus. The temple has the main Dwarkadish diety which was believed to have been made by Queen Rukmini and in which Meera bai merged and disappeared from the material world. Dwarka is mentioned in the Puranas and Mahabharata. It is said in the Vishnu Purana that on the day when Krishna departed from the earth, the powerful dark Kali Age descended. The oceans rose and submerged the whole of Dwarka. According to the evidence of the archaeological excavations, the present day Dwarka is said to be one of the 6 cities on this site, the five of which were submerged in the Arabian Sea. The original temples were destroyed during the 11th century by Muslim armies and frequently rebuilt. Bet Dwarka is famous for its temples dedicated to Lord Krishna and is of great importance in the ancient Hindu tradition. Dwarkadish temple dates back to 2500 years and the Mandir has its own hall of audience and a conical spire. The Dwarkanath Temple in Dwarka is a five-storied temple. The exterior of the Dwarkanath Temple is endorsed by 60 columns which is crowned by a soaring, elaborately carved spire. The spire rises to a height of 157 feet and is intrinsically carved.
Bet Dwarka is located about 30 kilometers north of Dwarka, on an island in the middle of the Arabian Sea. Bet Dwarka is situated next to the coastal town of Okha from where we hired a boat to go there. We entered the temple through river side which has 52 steps. In Dwaraka, there are also shrines for Vasudeva, Devaki, Balarama and Revati, Subhadra, Rukmini Devi, Jambavati Devi and Satyabhama Devi.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
We also visited the place where Sri Krishna left this planet earth with His own body and reached Sri Vaikuntham. The place where He left this world is called Prabhasa theertham near Veraval (the junction point where Gomathi river joins the sea) located on the banks of Hiran on Prabhaspatan-Veraval road at a distance of 1.5km from Somnath temple. There is a beautiful idol of Lord Shri Krishna in meditating form. The peepal tree is also seen outside the main temple. This is the place where the arrow of Jara poacher hit Lord Krishna while he was meditating under a peepal tree. He had mistaken the shining mark of the foot of Lord Krishna and shot arrow. Lord Krishna pardoned Jara and walked away to the bank of Hiren river and left the mundane world. We plunged into the sangam of the river into the sea and took holy bath. Quite a spiritual experience.
----------------------------------------------------------
7 SOMNATH TEMPLE
Somnath means "The Protector of Moon God" and first among the twelve Aadi Jyotirlings shrines of the God Shiva. The Somnath Temple has been looted of its wealth or destroyed many times by Islamic kings and rulers, Mahmud of Ghazni In 1024, and Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb In 1701. It is said that when Aurangazeb was staring at the tall temple, his crown fell off which infuriated him and he tried to destroy the temple but could not do so and left it half ruined. The present temple is the seventh temple reconstructed on the original site in 1951, by KM Munshi and Sardar Vallabai Patel. The present temple is built in the Chalukya style of temple architecture and the shikhara, or main spire, is 150 feet in height, and it has a 27 ft tall flag pole at the top. The temple is situated at such a place that there is no land in straight-line between Somnath seashore till Antarctica. Such an inscription in Sanskrit is found on the Arrow-Pillar called Baan-Stambh erected on the sea-protection wall at the Somnath Temple. This Baan-Stambh mentions that it stands at a point on the Indian landmass, which happens to be the first point on land in the north to the south-pole on that particular longitude. The temple is awesome. Standing tall right on the shore of the beach, it makes for a grand picture. The inner precincts are inspiring. The temple carvings are marvelous and so was the inner sanctum. We went during the time of the evening Aarti, along unending queue of pilgrims. We strolled around in the temple admiring the architecture. I was very keen to swim in the Arabian Sea near the temple but decided otherwise after seeing the warning notices planted in the beach. We had a joy ride on Camels for the first time in the beach, as a consolation. Triveni Ghat in Somanth is the confluence of three holy rivers Kapil, Hiran and a mystical River Saraswaty (also known as Gupt Saraswati). LEGEND
[ As per Shiv Mahapuran, once Brahma and Vishnu had an argument in terms of supremacy of creation.To test them, Shiva pierced the three worlds as a huge endless pillar of light, the jyotirlinga. Vishnu and Brahma split their ways to downwards and upwards respectively to find the end of the light in either directions. Brahma lied that he found out the end, while Vishnu conceded his defeat. Shiva appeared as a second pillar of light and cursed Brahma that he would have no place in ceremonies while Vishnu would be worshipped till the end of eternity. The jyotirlinga is the supreme partless reality, out of which Shiva partly appears. The jyothirlinga shrines, thus are places where Shiva appeared as a fiery column of light ]------------------------------------------------------
No comments:
Post a Comment