KANIFNATH
There are two ways to go to
Kanifnath Temple from Hadapsar, either
go to Saswad and then to Kanifnath (slightly longer) or go through Kondhwa Road
(beautiful ghat section in the middle). The second option is the easier and the
more scenic option driving through Bopdev ghat.
RISHI VALLEY
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V A R A N A S I
While staying in Benarus, we found time to visit Sarnath, a city located 15 kms north-east of Varanasi near the confluence of the Ganga and the Gomati rivers in UP, India.
Sarnath
is associated with Gautama Buddha whose
first teaching of the DHARMA and the four noble truths after attaining
Enlightenment, took place in the deer
park. The Buddhist SANGHA came into existence here. When Gautama Buddha found
his five former companions, he taught them, they understood and as a result
they also became enlightened. The Buddha's central teaching after his
enlightenment centered around the Four Noble Truths (concerning the meaning of
life) and the Noble Eightfold Path (concerning the right way to live). It was
very heartening to visit SARNATH and walk
in the sands where the great Buddha once preached.
The Dhamek Stupa; it is an impressive 130 feet high and 95 feet in diameter.
We moved to nearby Allahabad to visit he Triveni Sangam, a confluence of 3 rivers, the Ganges, Yamuna, and Saraswati. Of these three, the river Saraswati is invisible and is said to flow underground and join the other two rivers from below. Here the muddy and pale-yellow waters of the Ganges merge with the blue waters of Yamuna. While the Ganges is only 4 feet deep, the Yamuna is 40 feet deep near the point of their nexus. The river Yamuna merges into the Ganges at this point and the Ganges continues on until it meets the sea at the Bay of Bengal. At the confluence of these two great Indian rivers, where the invisible Saraswati conjoins them, many pilgrims take boats to the Sangam followed by hundreds of migratory birds giving a picturesque view. It is believed that all the gods come in human form to take a dip at the sangam and expiate their sins. We hired a boat and reached the sangam of three holy rivers, where a shallow area is created by the presence of a number of boats with a kind of net suspended in between, to enable the pilgrims to bathe there at the confluence. We did not have any trouble in going in a boat to the center of the meeting point of the rivers. A sort of platform had been constructed there, from which we climbed down into waist deep water. We had a wonderful time bathing in the river. It is believed that a bath in the sangam will wash away all one's sins and will clear the way to heaven. Devout Hindus from all over India come to this sacred pilgrimage point to offer prayers and take a dip in the holy waters .
A short drive of 45 kms away from
Hadapsar brings you to a temple on top of a small
hillock. A short drive, a good ghat section and something unique in this temple
make this a very good option for break from the city. Shri
Kanifnath Maharaj was one of nine teachers in the Navnath Sampradaya, a Hindu
Parampara who believe that Rishi Dattatreya, an incarnation of the Holy trinity
Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva to be its first teacher.
There are two ways to go to
Kanifnath Temple from Hadapsar, either
go to Saswad and then to Kanifnath (slightly longer) or go through Kondhwa Road
(beautiful ghat section in the middle). The second option is the easier and the
more scenic option driving through Bopdev ghat.
After the ghat, you will see a
big board for Kanifnath on the left and then it is a straight road to the top
of the hill. Once on the top, you get a beautiful view of Pune city. You have
to climb 108 steps to reach the temple from the parking. We found out later that had we taken our
vehicle on the road (bad road) to the right of the parking to reach the back of
the temple and avoided climbing those 108 steps..
The unique thing about this temple is that the main shrine is in a closed room and only men are allowed to enter it. I I I It is not just walking through a door! There is a small opening, probably a little more than a foot in either direction through which you (only men and topless too!) have to crawl into and also come back the same way as you are not supposed to point your foot towards the shrine. It was interesting watching people of all sizes and shapes get into the shrine. If you reach the temple around sunset the evening light is just great on the temple as there are no other hills around. We did the usual stuff, lot of photographs, chai-bhel at the shops outside and spotted a fairly large ancient looking historic temple on the banks of the river when proceeding from Bopdev to Sasvad at Hivre. Later we enjoyed a break at Sasvad having a taste of "Misal-Pav" there. We ordered one plate for which was very very hot and sumptuous. We could not finish even one plate among 2 of us! Wonder how others were merrily feasting on it! We were back to Pune within a few hours.
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The unique thing about this temple is that the main shrine is in a closed room and only men are allowed to enter it. I I I It is not just walking through a door! There is a small opening, probably a little more than a foot in either direction through which you (only men and topless too!) have to crawl into and also come back the same way as you are not supposed to point your foot towards the shrine. It was interesting watching people of all sizes and shapes get into the shrine. If you reach the temple around sunset the evening light is just great on the temple as there are no other hills around. We did the usual stuff, lot of photographs, chai-bhel at the shops outside and spotted a fairly large ancient looking historic temple on the banks of the river when proceeding from Bopdev to Sasvad at Hivre. Later we enjoyed a break at Sasvad having a taste of "Misal-Pav" there. We ordered one plate for which was very very hot and sumptuous. We could not finish even one plate among 2 of us! Wonder how others were merrily feasting on it! We were back to Pune within a few hours.
RISHI VALLEY
We attended the annual
gathering at RISHI VALLEY and spent
almost a week feeling quite refreshed. We reached Cudappa in Andhra State by train and proceeded to Madanapalle by Bus and from there to the
bewitching Rishi Valley by car. We were totally taken aback witnessing the glory
of nature, with all its splendor.
The unusual
topography of the Valley with its mountains of boulders of different shapes are
sizes were quite attractive and exciting to watch. The serene atmosphere of the valley was a
great change and relief from our daily rough and tough city life. The silent
and peaceful natural environment enabled us to refresh and recoup our lost
relationship with nature and its bounty.
The lectures, discussions and seminars were
refreshing and the evening trek and walk
with groups of friends around the spectacular surroundings were memorable and
exciting.
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V A R A N A S I
We spent almost
a week in Varanasi, or Benares, (also known as Kashi) one of the oldest living cities in the world. Mark Twain, the English author and literature, wrote :
"Benares is older than history, older than tradition, older even than
legend” Steeped in tradition and
mythological legacy, Kashi is the ‘original ground ‘ created by Shiva and
Parvati, upon which they stood at the beginning of time.
To be in Varanasi is a
breath-taking experience in self–discovery of an eternal oneness of the body
and soul, strolling along the banks across the Ganges, visiting the temples and shrines ringing in soul
stirring hymns and mantras, filled with the fragrance of incense in the air,
the refreshing dip in the holy waters and reaching
the ultimate bliss.. It is regarded as one of seven holy cities viz.,; Ayodhya, Mathura, Gaya, Kaasi,
Kanchi, Avantika, and Dwaravati which can
provide Moksha. In the 8th century, Adi Shankara established the worship of Shiva as an official sect of
Varanasi. The city is known worldwide for its many ghats : the Manikarnika Ghat and the Harishchandra
Ghat, are the two where Hindus cremate their dead. Foremost among the estimated
23,000 temples in Varanasi are Kashi Vishwanath Temple of Shiva, the Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple, and the Durga Temple.
The Ramnagar Fort, built in the 18th century and Asia's largest residential universities Banaras Hindu University (BHU) are other attractions. The memorable boat ride in
the evening along the famous ghats of the Ganga river and witnessing the “
AARTHI ” for over an hour was an unforgettable experience.
To be in Varanasi is a
breath-taking experience in self–discovery of an eternal oneness of the body
and soul, strolling along the banks across the Ganges, visiting the temples and shrines ringing in soul
stirring hymns and mantras, filled with the fragrance of incense in the air,
the refreshing dip in the holy waters and reaching
the ultimate bliss.. It is regarded as one of seven holy cities viz.,; Ayodhya, Mathura, Gaya, Kaasi,
Kanchi, Avantika, and Dwaravati which can
provide Moksha. In the 8th century, Adi Shankara established the worship of Shiva as an official sect of
Varanasi. The city is known worldwide for its many ghats : the Manikarnika Ghat and the Harishchandra
Ghat, are the two where Hindus cremate their dead. Foremost among the estimated
23,000 temples in Varanasi are Kashi Vishwanath Temple of Shiva, the Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple, and the Durga Temple.
The Ramnagar Fort, built in the 18th century and Asia's largest residential universities Banaras Hindu University (BHU) are other attractions. The memorable boat ride in
the evening along the famous ghats of the Ganga river and witnessing the “
AARTHI ” for over an hour was an unforgettable experience. 
While staying in Benarus, we found time to visit Sarnath, a city located 15 kms north-east of Varanasi near the confluence of the Ganga and the Gomati rivers in UP, India.
Sarnath
is associated with Gautama Buddha whose
first teaching of the DHARMA and the four noble truths after attaining
Enlightenment, took place in the deer
park. The Buddhist SANGHA came into existence here. When Gautama Buddha found
his five former companions, he taught them, they understood and as a result
they also became enlightened. The Buddha's central teaching after his
enlightenment centered around the Four Noble Truths (concerning the meaning of
life) and the Noble Eightfold Path (concerning the right way to live). It was
very heartening to visit SARNATH and walk
in the sands where the great Buddha once preached.
The Dhamek Stupa; it is an impressive 130 feet high and 95 feet in diameter.
The Dharmarajika Stupa is one of the few historic stupas
remaining, although only the foundations remain. The Ashoka Pillar erected here,
originally surmounted by the "Lion capital of Ashoka" (presently on
display at the Sarnath Museum), was broken during Turk invasions
but the base still stands at the original location. The Sarnath Museum
houses the famous Ashokan lion capital, which miraculously survived
its 45-foot drop to the ground (from the top of the Ashokan Pillar), and became
the National emblem of India and national
symbol on the Indian flag. The museum also houses a famous posture and
refined image of Buddha.
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ALLAHABAD
We moved to nearby Allahabad to visit he Triveni Sangam, a confluence of 3 rivers, the Ganges, Yamuna, and Saraswati. Of these three, the river Saraswati is invisible and is said to flow underground and join the other two rivers from below. Here the muddy and pale-yellow waters of the Ganges merge with the blue waters of Yamuna. While the Ganges is only 4 feet deep, the Yamuna is 40 feet deep near the point of their nexus. The river Yamuna merges into the Ganges at this point and the Ganges continues on until it meets the sea at the Bay of Bengal. At the confluence of these two great Indian rivers, where the invisible Saraswati conjoins them, many pilgrims take boats to the Sangam followed by hundreds of migratory birds giving a picturesque view. It is believed that all the gods come in human form to take a dip at the sangam and expiate their sins. We hired a boat and reached the sangam of three holy rivers, where a shallow area is created by the presence of a number of boats with a kind of net suspended in between, to enable the pilgrims to bathe there at the confluence. We did not have any trouble in going in a boat to the center of the meeting point of the rivers. A sort of platform had been constructed there, from which we climbed down into waist deep water. We had a wonderful time bathing in the river. It is believed that a bath in the sangam will wash away all one's sins and will clear the way to heaven. Devout Hindus from all over India come to this sacred pilgrimage point to offer prayers and take a dip in the holy waters .
We visited the popular Allahabad
Fort built by Akbar in 15th century
exhibiting fine depictions of art, design, architecture, and craftsmanship and
wwe were allowed to view the Ashoka
Pillar, Saraswati Kup and Jodhabai Palace. We also visited the Patalpuri Temple located
inside the Allahabad Fort. This is
actually an underground temple, alluding to associations with Lord Rama. The
famous Akshaya Vat one of the most revered trees of the Hindus is also sited
within the temple. We also visited the
Hanuman Mandir where the image of the God is in a reclining position. And also
the many storied Shankar Mutt located nearby.
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