Mesmerizing Ladakh – Part 1: Manali to Leh, the most adventurous road trip in India

This is without doubt the most adventurous road trip in India, the highway which connects the Manali town in the state of Himachal Pradesh and Leh the erstwhile capital of the Himalayan kingdom of Ladakh, now the Leh district of the state of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). This highway was designed, built and maintained entirely by the Boarder Roads Organisation (BRO) of Indian Army. This highway plays a major role in reaching the supplies to the Indian army units which are stationed in the international border with China in the north and east and the Line of Control along the Pakistani- administered territories of Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan in the west and north- west.

The highway is open for only about four and a half months in a year during summer between end of May when the snow is cleared and to Mid-October when the snow fall again blocks the passes. The highway has an average elevation of more than 13,000 feet and its highest elevation is 17,480 feet. It is flanked by mountain ranges on both sides featuring some stunning sand and rock natural formations and breath taking sceneries.

This 500 km highway crosses many small streams of ice-cold water from snow-caped mountains without any bridges which demands driving skill to negotiate fast-flowing streams. After passing the Rohtang Pass, the landscape changes as this region lies in a rain-shadow and the slopes become brown and arid. The highway is generally two lanes wide without a road divider but has only one or one and a half lanes at some stretches. This highway is very tricky due to many damaged stretches and under maintenance portions, where little rainfall can cause landslide making it very dangerous to cross that stretch of the road.

Travellers may experience acute mountain sickness due to high altitude on this highway and is advised to stay at Manali one night and minimum one night at either Keylong or Darcha to get acclimated to lower oxygen levels. Travel time on this highway is unpredictable though minimum three days are advised for ordinary tourists because the real fun and pleasure is in the journey itself and not reaching the destination.

On the Manali-Leh Highway, between Marhi and Rohtang pass you can see paragliding activities

On the Manali-Leh Highway, rock formations

On the Manali-Leh Highway, reaching Rohtang Pass

On the Manali-Leh Highway, traffic jam at Rohtang pass

On the Manali-Leh Highway, Baralacha pass

Jorchung Guest House where our accommodation is arranged

Leh Town - Street view — Leh Town – Street view

Mesmerizing Ladakh – Part 2: The Ancient Leh Palace

The construction of this place was initiated by Tsewang Namgyal, the founder of the Namgyal dynasty of Ladakh in 1553 and was completed by his nephew Sengge Namgyal, the most illustrious king of Ladakh. It resembles Potala Palace in Lhasa, though in comparison much smaller. The palace has nine storeys and the upper floors accommodated the royal family while the lower floors held stables and store rooms. The palace was abandoned when Dogra forces took control of Ladakh in the mid-19th century and the royal family moved to Stok Palace.

The material used in the construction of the palace is stone, mud bricks, poplar wood, mud mortar and wooden rafters. The mud plaster utilized locally known as Mar-kalak.

The palace is in ruins and being restored by the Archaeological Survey of India. The palace is open to the public and the roof provides panoramic views of Leh and surrounding areas and in the back ground is the rising Ladakh mountain ranges. The imposing structure, speak of the royal glory of the bygone era.

Leh Mosque and in the backdrop is Leh Palace

Locals dressed in traditional style, posing for the camera

Mesmerizing Ladakh – Part 3: The Enchanting Pangong Lake

Pangong Tso or Pangong Lake is the most beautiful lake in Ladakh, with its enchanting blue colour and the picturesque landscape surrounding it. Pangong Tso, literally meaning “enchanted lake”. It is located 175 km from Leh and can be reached in a five hour drive from Leh. This rough and dramatic mountain road traverses the Chang La, one of the highest passes in Ladakh at an elevation of 17586 feet. Chang La literally means “Pass towards the South”. But many claim that it is named after Changla Baba a sadhu, in whose name a small temple is dedicated at the pass. Most of the travelers visit the temple to have the blessings of the baba for a safe passage.

The maximum length of the lake is 134 km and extends from India to China. Approximately 60% of the length of the lake lies in China. The lake is 5 km wide at its broadest point. All together it covers 604 km2 . During the winter the lake freezes completely, despite being saline water.

There is no accommodation available at the lake. However there is camping facility available and you can book in advance one of the tents. We had booked in one of these tents for a night. Make sure you have enough warm clothes as the night winds are freezing.

A picturesque meadow on the way to Leh to Pangong Lake

Snow caped mountains - view from Chang La Pass — Snow caped mountains – view from Chang La Pass

We met him on the road side and was happy to share with him some chocolates and juice

Camping facilities at the lake - our tent — Camping facilities at the lake – our tent

Camping facilities at the lake - mess hall — Camping facilities at the lake – mess hall

Mesmerizing Ladakh – Part 4: Thiksey Monastery

Thiksey Gompa or Thiksay Monastery is located on top of a hill in Thiksey village approximately 19 km from east of Leh. Affiliated with the Gelug sect of Tibetan Buddhism this monastery resembles the Potala Place in Lhasa, Tibet. This monastery is the largest in central Ladakh which contains a separate buildings for female nuns. The monastery is located at an altitude of 11,800 meters. This twelve storey complex houses many items of Budhist art such as stupas, statues, thangkas, wall painting and swords.

One of the main attractions is the Maitreya Temple installed to commemorate the visit of the 14th Dalai Lama to the monastery in 1970. It contains a 15 meters high statue of Maitreya, the largest such statue in Ladakh covering two storeys of the building.

A temple is also dedicated to goddess Tara with her 21 images placed in glass covered wooden shelves.

Thiksey Monastery - view from the road — Thiksey Monastery – view from the road

Thiksey Monastery - a closer view — Thiksey Monastery – a closer view

Thiksey Monastery - The ornamental gate — Thiksey Monastery – The ornamental gate

The monk issuing the entry tickets to the monastery

Stunning views from top of the monastery

There was a movie shoot going on in the premises of the monastery during our visit.

The monks watching the movie shoot from the first floor

Mesmerizing Ladakh – Part 5: Shey Monastery & Palace

The Shey Monastery and the Shey Palace complex are located on a hillock in Shey village 15 km south of Leh on the Leh-Manali road. Built in 1655 by King Deldan Namgyal, the palace is mostly in ruins now. The Shey monastery was also built in 1655 on his instructions in memory of his father Singay Namgyal, within the palace complex.

The monastery is noted for its giant copper with gilded gold statue of a seated Shakyamuni Buddha. But unfortunately we could not see the statue as the Gompa was closed at the time when we were there.

The Shey Monastery and Palace, the details

The prayer wheel and the shrine which was closed

From the palace grounds one can have a distant view of the Druk White Lotus School locally known as Druk Padma Karpo School (Karpo means White and Padma means Lotus in the local language Bodhi). This school has become famous after few scenes of the Bollywood film “Three Idiots” were shot there.

View from top, you can see the Druk White Lotus School at the back

Mesmerizing Ladakh – Part 6: Nubra Valley and Diskit Gompa

About 150 km north of Leh, lies the remote and mysteriously beautiful Nubra Valley surrounded by rugged mountains. The Shyok River meets the Nubra or Siachan River to form a large valley that separates the Ladakh and Karakoram Ranges. The Shyok river is a tributary of the Indus river. The average altitude of the valley is about 10,000 feet.

One must traverse the Khardung La or Khardung Pass to reach the Nubra Valley. Built in 1976 Khardung La is opened to public motor vehicles in 1988 and has since seen many automobile, motorbike and mountain biking expeditions. The pass is maintained by the Border Roads Organization as it is strategically important for the Indian army to carry supply to the Siachen Glacier. At an elevation of 18,379 feet Khardung La is often referred to as the world’s highest motorable pass.

On the way to Nubra Valley, near Khardung La

Cafeteria at Khardung La, the highest in the world

At Khardung La - He is taking a picture — At Khardung La – He is taking a picture

By late afternoon we reached Nubra Valley and checked into Hotel Karma Inn. This hotel has nice rooms with picturesque surroundings and helpful staff. You can walk around the village and enjoy the picturesque surroundings. I came across many small shrines, mani stones and walls. Mani stones are stone plates, rocks or pebbles inscribed with the six syllabled mantra of Avalokiteshvara (Om mani padme hum), hence the name “Mani Stone” , as a form of prayer in Tibetan Buddhism. Mani walls are stone structures compiled by intricately carved stone tablets with the inscription “Om Mani Padme Hum”.

Hotel Karma Inn - Mess hall — Hotel Karma Inn – Mess hall

Hotel Karma Inn - view from my room window — Hotel Karma Inn – view from my room window

An apple tree with fruits inside the hotel courtyard

A Mani stone engraved in the elegant Tibetan script

One the left side of this village road is a Mani wall

Nubra is a high altitude cold desert with rare precipitation and scant vegetation except along the river beds. The villages are irrigated and fertile, producing wheat, barley, peas, mustard and variety of fruits and nuts including apples, walnuts, apricots etc. Most of the Nubra valley is inhabited by Nubra dialect speakers. The majority are Buddhist. In the western end of Nubra Valley near the Indo-Pak border the inhabitants are Balti speaking Shia Muslims.

About 10 km west of Diskit is the Hunder village which features the white sand dunes, a total contrast in the midst of snow-capped mountain ranges. This high altitude desert is a tourist attraction owing to the Bactrian camel rides. Bactrian camels are natives to the central Asian Steppes. They have two humps on their back, in contrast to the single-humped Arabian camels.

Tourists enjoying the ride on the Bactrian camel

A stream right in the middle of the sand dunes

Another major attraction is Diskit Gompa or Diskit Monastery, the oldest and largest Buddhist monastery in the Nubra Valley. It belongs to the Gelugpa sect of Tibetan Buddhism. The monastery was founded by Changzem Tserab Zangpo in the 14 the century. Diskit monastery is situated on the hill, just above the flood plains of the Shyok River, on its right bank in the Diskit village. Nubra river is a tributary of the Shyok River, which flows parallel to the Indus River on the north side of the Ladakh Range. Since the valley is at lower elevation, it has a mild climate. This climatice condition has created lush vegetation in the valley and the valley is, therefore, called the “Orchards of Ladakh”.

The monastery is approached through a flight of steps made of stones, which leads to the prayer hall of the monastery. A statue of Maitreya Buddha is enshrined in the hall. There is a huge drum located within the hall. In the chamber on the second floor, there are many images of fierce guardian deities. From the roof of the monastery one could get the glorious views of the Nubra Valley and the large statue of the Jampa Buddha located at the foot hill of the Diskit Gompa.

The photong or official residence of the Chief Lama of Nubra is located at the foot hill where there is also a very large statue of Jampa (Maitreya) Buddha. This impressive 32 meter statue on top of a hill below the Monastery, faces down the Shyok River towards Pakistan. The construction of the statue started in April 2006 and it was consecrated by H.H. the Dalai Lama on 25th July 2010.

Statues of guardian deities, whose heads are uncovered only during the festival.

A renovated mural depicting the Four Heavenly Kings opposite a prayer hall

Amazing view from the roof of the Monastery

Jampa (Maitreya) Buddha statue as seen from the Diskit Monastery

On the left is the Photong the official residence of the Chief Lama of Nubra and on the right is the Maitreya Buddha statue

The prayer flags around the Buddha statue

Mesmerizing Ladakh – Part 7: Alchi Monastery and Temple Complex

The Alchi monastery and temple complex is located on the south bank of the Indus River at an altitude of 10,200 feet and 65 km west of Leh. The Alchi village is in the high altitude rain shadow area of Ladakh. It is laid out in four settlements on the banks of a tributary of the Indus River. The monastic complex is separate from the other village settlements. The Alchi village differentiate itself from other villages of Ladakh by being so lush green. The flood plain at Alchi is very fertile and provides good and relatively extensive agricultural land.

The monastery complex has three major shrines the Dukhang (Assembly hall), the Sumtseg and the Temple of Manjushri all dating from between the early 12th and early 13th centuries. In addition, the Alchi complex has two other important temples, the Translator’s temple called the Lotsabha Lakhang and a new temple called the Lakhang Soma.

The artistic and spiritual details of both Buddhism and the Hindu kings of that time in Kashmir are reflected in the wall paintings in the monastery complex. There are some of the oldest surviving paintings in Ladakh. The complex also has huge statues of the Buddha and lavish wood carvings and art work.

Inside the temples, photography is strictly prohibited.

On the way to Alchi - confluence of Zanskar and Indus rivers — On the way to Alchi – confluence of Zanskar and Indus rivers

On the way to Alchi - River Indus — On the way to Alchi – River Indus

Alchi Monastery - Woodwork details — Alchi Monastery – Woodwork details

Alchi Monastery - Entrance to the Lotsa Temple — Alchi Monastery – Entrance to the Lotsa Temple

Lotsa Temple - Details — Lotsa Temple – Details

Alchi Monastery - Detailed woodworks — Alchi Monastery – Detailed woodworks

Alchi Monastery - A prayer wheel — Alchi Monastery – A prayer wheel

Alchi Monastery - the prayer wheels — Alchi Monastery – the prayer wheels

Around the monastery - Apricot tree with fruits — Around the monastery – Apricot tree with fruits

Around the monastery - Apple tree with fruits — Around the monastery – Apple tree with fruits

Mesmerizing Ladakh – Part 8: Lamayuru Monastery

Lamayuru Monastery or the Eternal Monastery is situated on the Leh-Sreenagar highway, 107 km west of Leh. Lamayuru Monastery was originally the foremost Bon monastery in Ladakh, its name means sauwastika and is a popular symbol in Bon for eternity. It is currently affiliated to the Krikung Kagyu school of Buddhism.

According to tradition the Indian scholar Naropa (956-1041AD) allegedly caused a lake which filled the valley to dry up and founded the Lamayuru Monastery. The oldest surviving building at Lamayuru is a temple called Seng-ge-sgang at the southern end of the Lamayuru rock which is attributed to the famous builder monk Rinchen Zangpo (958-1055 AD). This monastery is home to more than 150 monks and houses a rich collection of artifacts, wall paintings, thangas, statues etc. The monastery attracts tourists for its beautiful moon like landscapes and remote location.

On the way to Lamayuru Monastery

They are selling dry fruits to the tourists on the way

One of the most treacherous roads in India

Spectacular landscape while approaching the Lamayuru Monastery

The Lamayuru Monastery

The Lamayuru Monastery – at the main entrance

The Lamayuru Monastery – One of the aspiring monks

The Lamayuru Monastery – the aspiring monks

The Lamayuru Monastery – an aspiring monk

The Lamayuru Monastery

The Lamayuru Monastery – the stupas

The Lamayuru Monastery – the stupa

The Lamayuru Monastery – the prayer wheels

The Lamayuru Monastery – the stupa

The Lamayuru Monastery – Mani stones

The Lamayuru Monastery

The Lamayuru Monastery – the details

The Lamayuru Monastery – More stupas

The Lamayuru Monastery – the monk at the entrance

Locals in traditional dress to pose for the shutter bugs

The Lamayuru Monastery – Murals

The Lamayuru Monastery – the main prayer hall

Views around the monastery

On the way to Kargil – spectacular landscape around Fotu La pass near Lamayuru

Mesmerizing Ladakh – Part 9: Mulbekh, Kargil, Dras & Sonmarg

Mulbekh
This scenic village is about 67 km from Lamayuru, on the way to Srinagar on the Leh-Srinagar highway. Just around the town is the famous Chamba Statue, a striking enormous figure carved into the rock on the left side of the road. It pictures a standing Maitreya Buddha (Future Buddha) overlooking the old trade route and modern highway. This nine meter high statue is believed to be from the Kushan period in the first century AD. Modern scholars date it as being from around the eighth century AD. The lower part of the statue is partly obscured by a small temple built in 1975. But if you could go behind the temple, can get the full view of this gigantic carving.

The statue of Maitreya Buddha

A closer look of the Maitreya Buddha Statue

Sign Board

The backside of the rock

Around Mulbekh

Kargil
Kargil is the second largest town in Ladakh after Leh. It is located 42 km from Mulbekh on the Leh-Srinagar highway. Kargil has an average elevation of 8,780 feet and is situated along the banks of the Suru River, a tributary of Indus. Like other areas in the Himalayas, Kargil has a temperate climate. Summers are hot with cool nights, while winters are long and chilly with temperatures often dropping to -48°C.

Kargil Town

Hotel Caravan Sarai, where we spent the night

View from the hotel

Kargil Town – Along the Suru River

Kargil Town

Dras
Dras is located 60 km from Kargil enroute Srinagar on the Leh-Srinagar Highway. It has an average elevation of 10,764 feet. Dras is popularly known as “Gateway to Ladakh”. Dras is widely recognized as the second coldest inhabited place in the world, after Siberia. Dras came to limelight in 1999, when Pakistan army incursions started the famous Kargil War.

Just after we crossed the Indian army post at Dras, we had a stopover at Bhimbhut Stone. A short walk from the main road took us to this huge stone, believed to be the solidified body of the second Pandava, Bhima. The area around the stone was exceptionally beautiful due to the green grass and wild flowers.

One of the Indian Army posts at Dras

The sign board

A mountain stream on the way to the stone

Towards the stone

The Bhimbhut Stone

Around the stone

A war memorial is erected in remembrance of the martyred soldiers of Kargil War. The war memorial also known as Vijaypath is located 5 km from the city centre across the Tiger Hill on the foothills of Tololing Hill. The memorial has a huge epitaph with names of all the officers and soldiers who died in the war. Visitors to the memorial can also see from there some of the peaks that the Indian army captured back from Pakistan.

Dras War Memorial – Entrance

Dras War Memorial

The Indian Army Band performing at the war memorial

Dras War Memorial

Dras War Memorial – Manoj Pandey Gallery

Inside the gallery

Inside the gallery – A poem by Harivansh Rai Bachan

Inside the gallery

The cafeteria at the memorial

Further on the way to Sonmarg we had another stopover at the Draupadi Kund, a small pond on the highway. It is believed that Draupadi the wife of Pandavas bathed here on her way to the Himalayas. Irrespective of all such beliefs the pond is located in a picturesque surrounding and worth a visit.

Draupadi Kund

Around Draupadi Kund

Sonmarg
Sonmarg lies 63 km from Dras, enroute Srinagar on the Leh-Srinagar highway. One traverses the Zojila Pass on the way at an elevation of 11,575 feet. This is the second highest pass after Fotu La on the Leh-Srinagar highway. After crossing the pass we could see the Amarnath camping site along the Sonmarg valley. This little valley lies at the foot of the Zojila Pass and offers breathtaking views. Sonmarg, which means ‘meadow of gold’ has, as its backdrop, snowy mountains and deep blue sky.

Around Draupadi Kund

On the way to Sonmarg – the most treacherous roads

Sonmarg Valley

Sonmarg Valley and the camps of the Amaranth pilgrims

Sonmarg Valley

On the way to Sonmarg

Sonmarg Valley

Sonmarg – Hills

At Sonmarg

Mesmerizing Ladakh – Part 10: The last leg of the trip, Srinagar.

We are on the last leg of our Ladakh trip at Srinagar. Srinagar is famous for its house boats and Mughal Gardens. It is the summer capital of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. It lies on the banks of Jhelum River and Dal Lake. The shore line of the Dal Lake is about 15.5 km and encompassed by a boulevard lined with Mughal era gardens, parks, house boats and hotels. Scenic view of the lake can be witnessed from the shore line Mughal gardens of Shalimar Bagh and Nishat Bag built during the reign of Mughal Emperor Jahangir. During winter the temperature sometimes reaches -11°C, freezing the lake. The lake covers an area of 18 square kilometers.

Houseboats and Dal are widely associated with Srinagar and are nicknamed “floating palaces”, built according to British customs. The houseboats are generally made from local cedar wood and measure 24-38 meters in length and 3-6 meters in width and graded in a similar fashion to hotels according to level of comfort. Many of them have lavishly furnished rooms with verandas and terrace to serve as sun-deck or to serve evening cocktails. They are mainly moored along the western periphery of the lake, close to the lakeside boulevard in the vicinity of the Dal Lake and on small islands in the lake. They are anchored individually with interconnecting bridges providing access from one boat to the other.

Another important attraction in Srinagar is the Shikara, a type of wooden boat found in Dal Lake. Shikaras are of varied sizes and are used for multiple purposes including transportation of people. A usual Shikara, seats half a dozen people with the driver paddling at the rear. Like the Venetian gondolas they are a cultural symbol of Kashmir. They are also used for fishing, harvesting aquatic vegetation (usually for fodder) and transport. They are made of local Cedar wood, which does not decompose in water.

The Hazaratbal Shrine situated on the left bank of Dal Lake is considered to be the holiest Shrine in Kashmir. It contains a relic, believed to be a hair of Prophet Muhammad. The name of the shrine comes from the Urdu word Hazrat meaning “respected” and Kashmiri word bal meaning “place”. Thus it means the place which is given high regards and is respected among people.

Hari Parbat or Koe-e-Maran is a hill overlooking Srinagar and the site of the Durrani Fort. The hill has notable religious dimension for the Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs alike.

An eventful Ladakh trip is getting over here. We need to reach Jammu by noon so as to catch a flight to Delhi and then to Mumbai.

The office of the houseboat provider which was arranged inside a nice orchards

Inside the orchard

The Houseboat

Houseboat – Interior

Houseboat – View from the balcony

Dal Lake

Dal Lake – Houseboat moored to the bank

Dal Lake – the shikhara boat with tourists

Dal Lake – Houseboat moored to the bank

Dal Lake – the shikhara boat with vegetables

Dal Lake – Houseboat moored to the bank

Dal Lake – houseboat and the shikhara boat

Dal Lake – Houseboat moored to the bank and shikhara boat

Dal Lake – Houseboats moored to the bank and in the back ground Hari Parbat and the Durrani Fort

Shikhara boat on Dal Lake

One of the houseboats moored in Dal Lake

Florist on the shikhara boat

Dal Lake – Lotus

Florist’s shikhara boat

Houseboat and the shikhara boat

Hazratbal Shrine

Around the Harzratbal Shrine

The Mughal Garden

Around the Mughal Garden

Afghan Church, Mumbai – A British legacy

The Church of St John the Evangelist better known as Afghan church is located in Navy Nagar in the Colaba area of Mumbai. This Anglican Church was built by the British to commemorate the dead of the First Afghan War and the disastrous 1842 retreat from Kabul.

When we entered the church compound it gave a deserted look. But we could locate the care taker of the church in the nearby cottage who with reluctance agreed to open the doors of the church for us to see. But the grumpy guy refused to switch on the lights inside so we could not take good pictures of the interior of the church.

The foundation stone of the church was laid in December 1847 by Sir George Russell Clerk, Governor of Bombay. The church was consecrated on January 7, 1858 by Bishop of Bombay, John Harding. The imposing edifice was constructed using locally available buff-coloured basalt and limestone. Wide gothic arches and beautiful stained glass windows, decorates the interior of the church. The floor tiles were imported from England.

This church is a Grade I, heritage structure. The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall attended a Remembrance Sunday service at the church during their visit to Mumbai in November 2013.

Afghan Church – Sign Board

Afghan Church – Front View

Afghan Church – the view of the bell tower

Afghan Church – The main door

Afghan Church – another door

Afghan Church – A memorial in the church compound

Afghan Church – A view from the back side of the church

Afghan Church – Interior

Afghan Church – The altar

Afghan Church – The original stained glass designs

Afghan Church – Interior

Chhatrapti Shivaji Terminus (Victoria Terminus) and Railway Heritage Gallery Tour

Chhatrapti Shivaji Terminus (CST) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Mumbai, India. This historic railway station is one of the busiest in India. Built in 1887 this gothic structure is the most photographed monument in India after the Taj Mahal. Originally it was called Victoria Terminus and was intended to house the main station and the administrative offices of the Great Indian Peninsular Railway the predecessor of Indian Railway. In March 1996 its name was changed to Chhatrapti Shivaji Terminus and known simply as CST. The CST has 18 platforms out of which 7 are reserved for local suburban trains and 11 are for long distance out-station trains.

Very few people are aware of the the existence of a Railway Heritage Gallery in the CST building which has a nice collection of old engines and other artefacts used by the Great Indian Peninsular Railway. This gallery is functional since December 2012 and is open to the public along with a guided tour of the heritage CST building. The areas covered in the tour are:

a) Heritage Gallery at Ground Floor
b) Dining Hall at Ground Floor
c) Central Dome View from Ground Floor
d) Star Chamber view from Ground Floor
e) Heritage Lounge at Second Floor
f) Four-Court at Ground Floor

The tour also includes tea and biscuits in the Heritage Lounge at second floor.

Heritage Tour Timings: 3PM to 5PM on Week days only.
Price: Rs. 200/- per Person & Rs. 100/- per Student

Chhatrapti Shivaji Terminus (Victoria Terminus) – Front view

Chhatrapti Shivaji Terminus (Victoria Terminus) – View of the central dome

Chhatrapti Shivaji Terminus (Victoria Terminus) – The Heritage Gallery

Exhibits in the corridor

The corridor

Exhibits in the corridor

One of the doors

Exhibits from the heritage gallery

Exhibits from the heritage gallery – a model of the CST building

Exhibits from the heritage gallery

The stained glass door

The main door of the building

At the entrance

The central dome from inside

The staircase

One of the doors

Interior view

The staircase

Closer view of the structure

Interior view

Interior view of the central dome

Interior view

View from the second floor corridor

The spiral staircase which leads to the top floor which is not opened for visitors

Interior view

View of the second floor corridor

Interior view

Second floor corridor

Closer view of the structure

The heritage lounge at second floor, where visitors are served tea

Closer view of the structure

View of the star chamber from first floor

Closer view of the central dome from the first floor balcony

Closer view of the structure

View of the BMC building (another heritage structure) from the first floor balcony

An ornamental window

Closer view of the structure

Details

The dining hall at ground floor

The main entrance

View from the fore-court

The main entrance view

View from the fore-court

Just below the clock was a statue of Queen Victoria which was damaged by a lightning many decades ago and was never replaced.

The visitors pass

From the forecourt

Dahi Handi Celebrations 2017

Dahi Handi is a famous sportive event organized in many places of Maharashtra on the next day of Janmashtami. Janmashtami, is an annual festival that celebrates the birth of Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu. It is observed according to Hindu calendar, on the eighth day of the dark fortnight in the month of Shraavana, which corresponds to August and September months of the Gregorian calendar.

Dahi Handi celebration commemorates the way of living of Lord Krishna. Dahi translates to curd and Handi translates to earthen pot used to process and keep the milk products. In his childhood, young Krishna was very fond of curd and butter. While growing up he became notorious for stealing it. The female folks in the neighborhood became cautious and started hanging the milk products from the ceiling to keep them out of reach of Krishna and his friends. To defeat this idea Krishna devised the idea of forming human pyramids, by which they could reach the Handi.

Every year during Janmashtami this event from the life of Krishna is played by youngsters. In Mumbai and suburbs it has become a competitive sport, with participation of many teams. In the recent years, female teams have also started to participate in the event. These sporting events, often carries prize money with the support of local political parties and leaders. These team’s youth called ‘Govindas’ climb one over another and form a human pyramid and then break the Handi.

Dahi Handi hanging from the top

The team is getting ready

Formation of the pyramid

The breaking of the Handi

The winning team collects the trophy and the prize money

The drummers celebrating

Kala Ghoda Arts Festival 2016 – A Photowalk

The Kala Ghoda precinct is Mumbai’s premier art district. It has large number of city’s heritage buildings and art galleries like Jehangir Art Gallery, National Gallery of Modern Art etc. Also the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalyaya is located in here. The area is sandwiched between the Lion Gate to the east, Regal Cinema to the south, Fountain to the north and Oval Maidan to the west.

The name Kala Ghoda means Black Horse, a reference to the presence of a black equestrian statue of king Edward VII placed in the area. Even though the statue was removed from the precinct in 1965 and subsequently placed inside the Byculla Zoo, the area was continued to be called as Kala Ghoda (but alas without the black horse).

The Kala Ghoda Association was formed on 30th October 1998 with the object of maintaining and preserving this art district of south Mumbai. Every year, since 1999 the association hosts the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival. The nine days long festival commences on the first Saturday of February and closing on the second Sunday of February. Over the years, the festival has grown in stature and popularity attracting visitors and participants from other parts of the country and the world. The festival sections are visual arts, dance, music, theatre, cinema, literature, workshops, heritage walks, urban etc. Entry to all the events is free to all, as the costs are met through corporate sponsorship.

The Rampart Raw being the centre of the Festival is closed off to vehicular traffic for the duration of the festival, with the entire area becoming a street mela, with interactive art installations and stalls of artisans selling their creations. In the recent years, the festival has expanded beyond Kala Ghoda area with many events being held in Cross Maidan and Horniman circle as well.

Kala Ghoda Art Festival-2016 was held during 6th February to 14th February 2016. Some pictures from the Festival…

The Royal Opera House – The Pride of Mumbai

The recently renovated, The Royal Opera House is the only opera house that survives in the country.

Special mention to Kruti Garg, who took us on a heritage walk through this iconic structure savaged by time and now returned to its previous glory. She is a senior conservation architect and was closely involved in the restoration of the building. Some excerpts from the journey:

Situated on Charni Road, near Girgaum Chowpatti beach, the adjective ‘Royal’ was prefixed to ‘Opera House’ to reflect the fact that its foundation stone was laid during the British Raj in 1909, and King George V inaugurated the building in 1911 while the building was still under construction and then it went on to be completed by 1915. There is the royal crest of England which has the unicorn on one side and a lion on the other, present on the main (front) facade and on the side. As a depiction of Opera, the designs have musical instruments like harps and trumpets making its appearance on the architecture.

Architecturally it was designed on the likes of Morris Bandman, an entertainer and invested by coal baron Jahangir Karaka, providing the highest luxury of that time. The basement under the stage area has an orchestra pit, wherein the band of Musicians would play. Ice was introduced through pipes in the subsurface of the building, in order to cool the interiors.

The Royal Opera House, initially saw a lot of performances from British and American companies. Subsequently, 5 years from its construction it started screening movies. In 1940, the Prithvi theatre performed at Opera house when in Mumbai. Deenanath Mangeshkar has also performed here. A lot of big staring movies were screened here and some renowned movies even shot here.

In 1935, the opera house was taken over by Ideal pictures and converted into a cinema hall. As a result of which in 1970s the side boxes – the prime seats in this theatre, were torn down and completely removed from the building because they were interfering with the sight lines for movies. A projection room was added in the middle of the first floor of auditorium which was not original. Hence, the building had completely changed from its initial setting of a high octave Baroque interior to an Art Deco Cinema, by the time it closed down in 1980s.
In 1952, it was bought over by the Maharaja and Maharani Jadeja of Gondal, Royal family of Gujarat, as a commercial venture and run it for another 30 years from then. In 1980s Opera house was closed down because this single screen theatre could not make profitable business anymore and remained closed for around 18 years. The elaborate curtain on the stage has the crest of the royal family of Gondal.

Restoration:
Initially, in May 2001, it was noted that since the opera house was a Heritage building, it could not be redeveloped but only restored. With a lot of Archival researches, the building was completely restored and is now a 585 seater auditorium. The side boxes are put back. So are the stained glass windows and rich mouldings of sculpted foliage on the ceiling and proscenium arch. The orchestra pit has been widened and foyers heightened by frescoes and crystal chandeliers.

From a publication that was obtained from a scholar from New Zealand, called ‘Territorials in India’ which had a full chapter about the Royal Opera House and how it was constructed.

When the restoration began, the ceilings were completely different. It had an Art deco feel with no embellishment and decoration as seen now. There were no details on the balcony and original material from the Site was missing.
The wood panelling and boxes were restored as in its inception. This is the only theatre of that time, which had the Royal box designed for family seating. Side balconies, although restored as original, are not functional anymore for seating. Originally, these side boxes and royal boxes were furnished with plush Irani bentwood chairs. The second balcony had just benches and was for the lowest priced tickets. However, the renovated building has crimson cushioned chairs throughout.

Archival research texts described the interiors as embellished with gold and crimson. Designs on the spandrel, of the little boy are an original design found during restoration work and put back in their original locations. Acoustics have been improved and redone and the building has seen an insertion of air conditioning, speaker system etc. In the entrance choir, one will see a pair of unique crystal chandeliers, which were donated by the David Sassoon family, from their mansion called the ‘Sans Souci’ in Byculla.

Original ceiling was in the same shape as today. Back then there were no speaker system to augment the sound levels, hence the ceiling was designed in shape of a gramophone mike, for acoustical reasons to improve sound quality.

New Technology combined with restoration of the old world charm has gone into the renovation of this building.
Some pictures from the site:

Royal Opera House – View from the other side of the road

Main entrance

A closer view of the windows

Architecture details – The harp and trumpet designs

Ornamental windows

The Royal Crest of England

Boroque styled windows

Kruti Garg – Our heritage walk Guide, explaining the architechture

Interior view – The Grand Side Balconies

Interior view – Stained Glass Windows

Designs on the Spandrel

Designs on the Capital of Columns

The First and Second floor of Auditorium

Architectural Details – Arches and Balconies

Architecture details – The harp and trumpet designs

Elegantly designed Wooden Windows

Elaborately designed Dome interiors

Well lit Ticket booth

History of the Royal Opera House

Gold Embellished Ceilings

Small Ticket Counter

One of the Crystal Chandeliers

Mirrored Wooden balcony

Beautiful Gold Side Tables

One of the Crystal Chandeliers

Plush Cushioned Chairs

Marble installations and painted ceilings

Decorated Doorway

Elaborately designed Doorway

Paintings on the Dome interiors – A closer view

The Marbled Lobby – Ground floor

The magnificently set lobby on the second floor

The Stage -View from the second floor

The main entrance – The Side Facade

The Front Facade

Ahmedabad – Part I : Bhadra Fort and Teen Darwaza

Ahmedabad, also known as Amdavad in Gujarati, is the largest city and former capital of the Indian state of Gujarat. Perched on the banks of Sabarmati River, this remarkably cosmopolitan city is rich with Muslim history and many architectural monuments. The area around Ahmedabad has been inhabited since the 11th century when it was known as Ashaval or Ashapalli. The city was founded in 1411 by Ahmed Shah, at the spot where he saw a hare chasing a dog (he was impressed by its bravery). He established Ahmedabad as the new capital of his Sultanate and built Bhadra Fort on the east bank of Sabarmati River. Square in form, enclosing an area of about forty three acres and containing 162 houses, the Bhadra fort had eight gates. The second fortification was built later by Mahmud Begada, the grandson of Ahmed Shah, with an outer wall 10km in circumference and consisting of 12 gates, 189 bastions and over 6,000 battlements. Almost 60 governors ruled Gujarat during the Mughal period including the future Mughal emperors Jagangir, Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb.

In 1732 the Maratha army under Umabaisaheb Khanderao Dabhade, the only female commander- in- chief in the history of Marathas captured the fort from Mughal Sardar Joravar Khan Babi. Ahmedabad was conquered by the British in 1817 and the fort complex was used as a jail by the British.

Bhadra fort housed the royal palaces and the beautiful Nagina Baugh and the royal Ahmed Shah’s Mosque on the west side and an open area known as Maidan-Shahi on the east side. The fort complex was used as a royal court during his reign. On the eastern side of the fort, there is a triple gateway known as Teen Darwaza which was formerly the entrance to the royal square. The road beyond this gate leads to Manek Chowk, a mercantile square.

The citadel’s architecture is Indo-Sarcenic with intricately carved arches and balconies. There are Islamic inscriptions on the arches of the Fort. The palace contains royal suites, the imperial court, halls and a prison. A palace was also built during the time of Mughal governor Azam Khan known as Azam Khan Sarai in 1637. It was used as resting place for travelers in the Mughal era and a jail during British rule. There was a gibbet on the roof of this building used for hanging during the Gujarat sultanate and the British era. It was here that Ahmed Shah hanged his son-in-law who was convicted of murder.

Bhadra Fort - entrance — Bhadra Fort – entrance

Bhadra Fort - View from top of the western bastion — Bhadra Fort – View from top of the western bastion

At the top of the fort, where once the gibbet used to be

View of the busy market from the tope of the fort — View of the busy market from the top of the fort

A room in the north wing of Azam Khan Sarai was turned into a temple of Bhadra Kali during Maratha rule. The legend is that years ago Laxmi, the goddess of wealth, came to the gate of Bhadra Fort to leave the city in the night. Watchman Siddique Kotwal stopped her and identified her. He asked her not to leave the fort until he obtained permission from the king. He beheaded himself in order to keep goddess Laxmi in the city. Another version is that he was beheaded by the Sultan in order to prevent the goddess from leaving the city. It resulted in the prosperity of the city. There is a tomb near Bhadra gate dedicated to Siddique Kotwal and a temple to Bhadra Kali, representing Laxmi. A lamp in one of the holes in Teen Darwaza is lit continuously for more than six hundred years by a Muslim family and is dedicated to Laxmi.

The façade of the Azam Khan Sarai - detail — The façade of the Azam Khan Sarai – detail

The tomb of Kotwal is inside this door. The locks which you see on the door are placed by the people who visited this place for the fulfilment of their wish

When Mahmud Begada expanded and fortified the city there were eighteen darwazas or gates to the city, fifteen large gates and three small ones. Of the fifteen gates, one was closed and three were added later. Each of these gates had beautiful carvings, calligraphy and some of them even balconies. Each of these entrances to the city has unique names like Delhi Gate, Sarangpur Gate, Raipur Gate etc. The area surrounding these gates has adopted the name of the gate as the name of the locality. There were two gates constructed during the British time, after opening of railways connecting Bombay in 1864 to facilitate the movement of public. They are known as Prem Darwaja and Panchkuva gate. Panchkuva gate was built in 1871 for easy access to the railway station. This gate consists three pointed arches, the central one 18 feet wide and 28 feet high and each side gateway measuring 7 feet wide and 19 feet high.

Delhi Darwaza, one of the gates of the city

The Panchkuva gate, built by the British

Ahmedabad – Part II : The Pols and Havelis

A special feature of Ahmedabad is the plan of the old city, comprising numerous ‘pols’ or self- contained neighborhoods, sheltering a large number of people. A pol normally comprises of many families of a particular group, linked by caste, profession or religion. These typical urban centers or neighborhoods are an integral part of the old city of Ahmedabad. The old city of Ahmedabad is made up of around 360 pols within a fortified compound. In the recent past, families have started moving out to live in modern houses away from the city center, but many of them still feel a strong bond to the closely-knit communities of the pols where they have grown up. These pols are traversed by narrow lanes, usually terminating in squares called ‘chowks’, consisting of a community well and bird feeders called ‘Chabutro’. Some pols have intricately carved temples as well. Each pol has its own distinctive architectural style and motifs.

Each pol is protected by a gateway, closed at night as safeguard against thieves. Inside each pol is one main street, with crooked lanes branching on either side. Most vary in size from five or ten to fifty or sixty houses. Pols are almost entirely inhabited by Hindus, in some cases by a settlement of families belonging to one caste, and in others by families of several of the higher castes.

Pols were originally made as a protection measure when communal riots necessitated greater security, probably dating from 1738, during the Mughal-Maratha rule in Ahmedabad. A typical pol would have only one or two entrances and also some secret entrances known only to people residing in the respective pol. Each pol generally has its own watchman and its own sanitary arrangements. The affairs of the pol were managed by a group of people. The house property in the pol is to some extent held in common. Formerly no one could sell or mortgage a house to an outsider without first offering it to the people of the pol. Though this rule was not kept later, inmates of a pol sold their houses to same caste people. On weddings and other great family occasions, each house holder is expected to feast the whole pol, and in some cases, all the men of the pol.

The details of the motif on the door. This is a Maratha motif.

A typical entrance to the pol. You can see the security window at the top

The courtyard of the temple — The temple courtyard

A typical Chabutro or bird feeder in one of the pols

A finely carved pillar - view from the pols — A finely carved pillar – view from the pols

A Jain Temple with toranas — A Jain Temple with the toranas

Some pols contain old beautiful houses (havelis) with internal courts having intricate wooden carved facades with columns and fresco work done around court walls and ceilings. Today the owners of these havelis, being unable to bear the heavy maintenance costs have either sold their properties off or have let them fall to ruins, while they have settled in other places. The heritage cell of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation is taking the initiative in restoring, some of these havelis.

The renovated haveli of renowned Gujarati poet Dalpatram

A bronze statue of poet Dalpatram in front of the haveli

Another haveli which is renovated to be a hotel

See the steps from the side to the haveli

This is the fine architecture of the old stock exchange building of Ahmedabad which is abandoned now.

The best way to explore the pols is to join for a ‘heritage walk’, an initiative of the Municipal Corporation, to unveil the heritage of the city to tourists and citizens. The walk commences from the Swaminarayan Temple, Kalupur and concludes at the Jama Masjid. Hence this walk is popularly known as the journey of ‘Mandir to Masjid’. The walk commences at 8.00am and concludes at around 10.30am, which also includes a slide show of 15 minutes. The details can be obtained from the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation website.

Ahmedabad – Part III : The Swaminarayan Temple at Kalupur

Built in 1822 AD, this is the first temple of the Swaminarayan sect and the headquarters of the NarNarayan Dev Gadi. The land for construction of this temple was given by the British Imperial Government in India to Swaminarayan. Sir Dunlop, the British officer was so impressed with the activities of Swaminarayan and his followers, that on behalf of the government he gave 5,000 acres of land in Kalupur area of Ahmedabad to build this temple. When the temple was completed, the officer was so amazed by the temple that he commanded a 101 gun salute to the temple. When the British government wanted to build a railway station in Kalupur, the temple returned part of the land, where Kalupur Railway Station stands today.
The temple was mainly constructed in Burma teak wood with opulent carvings of Hindu gods and goddesses in bright shades. The architecture of the central gateway is a mix of regional and British styles. Marathi and Rajasthani folk cultures and costumes are evident on the gateway sculptors.
The NarNarayan temple is the heart of the temple complex and was constructed with intricate carvings in pure Burma-teak, depicting deities and episodes representing Indian tradition and culture. The images in the temple are of Naranarayan Dev in the centre, Radhakrishna Dev on the right, Dharmadev, Bhakti Mata and Harikrishna on the left of the central hall.
The haveli to the west of the temple used to be the official residence of Acharya of the Naranarayan Dev Gadi. Now the ground floor of the front side houses the offices and inner portion accommodates the residence of the ladies who have devoted their life to the temple. The haveli on the north side of the temple was constructed by Acharya Maharjshree Keshavprasadji Maharaj in 1871. This haveli made in wood consists of intricately carved wooden pillars and balconies. An extensive central hall has been constructed on sixty pillars.
The temple attracts a million people the day after Diwali, the festival of lights, celebrated every year in autumn.

The grand haveli (traditional, ornately decorated house) in the temple complex

Ahmedabad – Part IV: The Hutheesing Jain Temple

This remarkably elegant temple is created out of white marble. It was built in 1848 AD at an estimated cost of 8 lakh rupees, a major sum at that period. The construction of the temple was initiated by Shet Hutheesing Kesarising, a wealthy Ahmedabad trader. The construction was supervised and completed by his wife Shethani Harkunvar after the untimely death of her husband. The temple is dedicated to Dharmanatha, the fifteenth Jain Tirthankara. The temple was built during a severe famine in Gujarat. By employing hundreds of skilled artisans the construction supported them for a period of two years during this famine.

The Hutheesing Jain temple is spread over a sprawling courtyard, a mandapa surrounded by a large ridged dome, which is supported by 12 ornate pillars. The main shrine on the east end reaches up into three stunningly carved spires and is encircled by 52 smaller shrines dedicated to the various Tirthankaras. The front is exquisitely ornamented by a dome shaped structure. The architect of the temple was Premchand Salat.

The pictures below are from the exterior of the temple. Photography inside the temple is prohibited.

Hutheesing Jain Temple

Details of the carvings

The outer courtyard of the temple is flanked by a recently built 78 feet Mahavir stambha (tower) fashioned after the renowned tower of Chittor in Rajasthan.

The Mahavir stambha (tower) inside the temple courtyard

Another view of the tower

Tower details

The door of the tower

Ahmedabad – Part V: Jama Masjid & Mausoleums

The Jama Masjid of Ahmedabad is one of the largest and splendid mosques in the Indian subcontinent. Built by Sultan Ahmed Shah the mosque is situated outside the Bhadra fort area. The mosque was inaugurated on January 4, 1424 AD and was originally intended only for the private use of the sultans.
The mosque complex is centred on a large rectangular courtyard 75 m long and 66 m wide. There are three entrances to the mosque complex, one at the centre of each side. The courtyard is lined with colonnade on three sides and the prayer hall occupies the fourth side, which is on the east. In the centre of the courtyard is a rectangular tank for ablutions.
The rectangular prayer hall is covered by four domes. Some of the central domes are carved like lotus flowers, resembling typical domes of the Jain temples. The mosque and arcades are built of beautiful yellow sandstone and carved with intricate details. The two huge minarets flanking the main arched entranceway collapsed in the earthquake of 1819, their lower portions still stand. The main prayer hall has over 260 columns supporting the roof with 15 domes.

Jama Masjid

One of the domes, view from inside

The mihrab inside the Masjid

Pillars inside the masjid

The area for women worshippers with lattice work

The main entrance of the masjid with the torana, typical feature of a temple

Architectural details

The hall around the compound

The tank for ablution in front of the masjid

Stands outside the Jama Masjid’s east gate, is the tomb of Ahmed Shah constructed after his death in 1442 by his son and successor Muhamad Shah. It includes the tombs of his son and grandsons. The mausoleum, locally known as ‘Badshah no Hajiro’ is a medieval mosque with a large central dome. There are four chambers at all four corners with delicately carved stone screen (jaalis). Women are not allowed to enter the mausoleum and men must cover their heads before entering.

‘Badshah no Hajiro’, the mausoleum of Ahmed Shah

Tombs inside

Detailed stone works

The lattice work inside the mausoleum

Across the road is the ‘Rani no hajiro’ or the tombs of Ahmed Shah’s Queens, which is in very bad shape and encroached by the market, selling women’s clothing and jewellery

‘Rani no hajiro’ or the tombs of Ahmed Shah’s Queens

Ahmedabad – Part VI: Sidi Saiyyed Mosque

Built in 1573, this mosque is one of the most famous mosques of Ahmedabad due to its stone carved lattice work windows. Popularly known as Sidi Saiyyed ni Jaali, this mosque was built by Sidi Saiyyed, an Abyssinian one of the advisors of Bilal Jhajar Khan, general in the army of the last Sultan Shams-ud-din Muzaffar Shah III.

The mosque was built in the last year of the existence of Sultanate of Gujarat. The mosque has beautifully carved ten stone lattice work windows (jaalis) on the side and rear arches. The rear wall is filled with square stone pierced panels in geometrical designs. These intricately carved lattice stone windows have designs of intertwined trees and foliage and a palm motif. The mosque was used as government office during British rule in 1880 AD. During this period paper casts of the carved screens were taken and two wooden models were made for museum of Kensington and New York. Today one of the jaali depicting the tree of life has become distinguished symbol of the city of Ahmedabad and the inspiration for the design of the logo of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.

It is observed that the central window arch of the mosque is walled with stones instead of lattice work. Probably the mosque was not completed as per the original plan before the Mughals invaded Gujarat.

Sidi Saiyyed Mosque

Sidi Saiyyed Mosque – View with the tank in front of the Mosque

Sidi Saiyyed Mosque

The view of the Jaali from inside

Architectural details

A congregation is on in the mosque

Jaali – more detailed view

Architectural details

A tomb inside the Mosque complex

Architectural details – external view

Ahmedabad – Part VII: Rani Rupamati’s Mosque

This mosque was built by Mahmud Begada during 1430-1440 AD. The mosque is named after Rani Rupamati the wife of Sultan Qutubuddin. After the death of Qutubuddin his brother, Mahmud Begada became the sultan and he married Rani Rupamati. The mosque has three domes and slim minarets. These minarets were collapsed during the earthquake of 1819. This is one of the mosques where an attempt was made to combine the arched Islamic and flat Hindu styles. The mosque is remarkable due its richly carved lattice windows and balconies.

Rani Rupamati’s Mosque

Rani Rupamati’s Mosque – main entrance and the pillars

The qiblah inside the mosque

Pillars inside the mosque

Intricately carved balconies

Architectural details

One of the carved windows

Architectural details

View from back side of the mosque

Close to the mosque in the same compound, is the tomb of Rani Rupamati and the other queen. These tombs were covered by a large central dome and two side domes.

The tomb of Rani Rupamati and the other queen

Inside view

View of the central dome and one of the small domes

Ahmedabad – Part VIII: Rani Sipri’s Mosque and Tomb

This small mosque is also known as Masjid-e-Nagira (Jewel of a Mosque) due to its graceful construction. The mosque is named after the Hindu queen of Sultan Mahmud Begada, Rani Sipri. The queen commissioned this mosque in 1514 AD when her husband executed their son for some minor misdemeanour. After her death, the queen was buried in this mosque. This mosque is remarkable with delicately carved minarets (which survived many earthquakes) and domed tomb with fine jaali screens (lattice windows).

Rani Sipri’s Mosque

Rani Sipri’s Mosque – interior view

An intricately carved pillar – details

Architectural details

View from back side of the mosque

Rani Sipri’s Tomb

Jaali work on the tomb

Architectural details of the tomb

Ahmedabad – Part IX: The Pattharwali Masjid or Qutbuddin’s Mosque

This Mosque is one of the less explored mosques in Ahmedabad, but rich in intricate carvings and Hindu elements in its design. The mosque was constructed in 1449 during the reign of Sultan Muhammed Shah II by Nizam son of Hilal.

Pattharwali Masjid or Qutbuddin’s Mosque

The main entrance of the mosque

The main entrance and pillars

The tank in front of the mosque

The jaali work around the tank

Architectural details

Architectural details

Architectural details

Architectural details

Architectural details

Architectural details

Architectural details

Acknowledgement:
I would like to express my special thanks to Mr. Narendra J Otia (njotia@gmail.com), a heritage enthusiast and photographer for his help and assistance in exploring the various mosques and temples in Ahmedabad.

Ahmedabad – Part X: Sidi Bashir Mosque and the Shaking Minarets

This mosque is believed to be constructed by Sidi Bashir, a slave of Sultan Ahmed Shah. The mosque was constructed in 1452. Only the minarets and arched central gateway remain today, as the body of the remaining part of the mosque was destroyed in 1753 during the war between the Marathas and the Gujarat Sultanate.
The mosque is famed for its 21.3 meter high shaking minarets (jhulta minars). A gentle shaking of either of the minarets results in the other minaret vibrating, though the connecting passage between them remains free of vibration. The minarets were designed to shake to protect against earthquake damage, which certainly worked in 2001.

The Shaking Minarets of Sidi Bashir Mosque

A closer view of one of the minarets

The arched gateway

Architectural details of the pillars

Ahmedabad – Part XI: Raj Babri Mosque and the Mausoleum of Bibiji

The Raj Babri Mosque was built in 15th century during the rule of King Ahmed Shah and is famous for its shaking minarets. The mosque originally had two shaking minarets out of which only one remains today. One of the minarets was dismantled by an inquisitive English man in an unsuccessful attempt to find out how it worked. The remaining minaret stands 40 feet high with carved balconies and windows along with a narrow staircase from inside. Its lower parts are richly carved with floral ornamentation of varied patterns.

The Raj Babri Mosque

The Raj Babri Mosque – frontal view

Details of the minaret

Architectural details

Inside the mosque

Architectural details

View of the mosque from outside

The east of the mosque is the mausoleum of Makhduma-i-Jahan or Bibiji, mother of Sultan Qutbuddin Ahmad Shah.

The tomb of Bibiji

Ahmedabad – Part XII: Kankaria Lake and the Dutch Tombs

Kankaria lake, formerly known as Hauz-e-Qutub is situated in the south-eastern part of the Ahmedabad city in the Maninagar area. This polygonal lake was built in 1451 by Sultan Qutbuddin. At the centre of the lake is a garden called Nagina Wadi (which means beautiful garden in Urdu). In 2008 the lake front was revamped and developed around it with many public attractions like zoo, toy train, tethered balloon ride, water rides, food stalls etc.

Kankaria Lake

View of Nagina Wadi in the centre of the lake

The tethered balloon ride

The toy train around the lake

Another important attraction around the lake is the Dutch and Armenian tombs. They are located on the One Tree Hill embankment, announcing the strong trade presence of the Dutch East India Company in the city of Ahmedabad. In the 17th and 18th centuries Dutch traders from Holland came to Gujarat. They used to trade cotton cloth, yarn and indigo. Surat was the main centre of their trade but a small number of them lived in Ahmedabad. These tombs were built in their memory. The tombs were built in Saracenic style with domes and pillars. The dates of the tombs are ranging from 1641 to 1699. The Armenian tombs belonged to the brokers in the Dutch factory. The inscriptions in some of the tombs are in Dutch and Latin.

The Dutch Tombs

The Dutch Tombs – the damages are due to the earthquake

The Dutch Tombs

Ahmedabad – Part XIII: Dada Hari Vav

This much neglected but aesthetically built vav or stepwell is situated in Asarwa area of Ahmedabad city. When it was built in 1500 AD, Asarwa was a village by itself, which has now become an area of the city of Ahmedabad. The stepwell was built by Dhai Harir, a household lady of Sultan Mahmud Begada. She was believed to be the superintendent of the royal harem. Behind the stepwell is the mosque and a tomb built by Dhai Harir, where she was buried.

Built in sandstone this octagonal stepwell is five stories deep. Each floor is built on intricately carved large numbers of pillars and spacious enough for people to congregate. There are air and light vents in the roofs at various floors. From the first storey level, three staircases lead to the bottom level of the well. At the level of the ground, it is 190 feet long by forty feet wide. At the east end, from a domed canopy, a descent of few steps leads to a covered gallery. Built along a east west axis, the entrance is from the east and the two spiral staircases in the west. These spiral staircases are now closed.

The air and light vents in the roofs at various floors and at the landing level are in the form of large openings. From the first story level, three staircases lead to the bottom water level of the well, which is considered a unique feature. The top part of the well is vertical and opened to sky. The carvings of flowers and symbols of Islamic, Hindu and Jain gods are carved at various levels of the well.

The first gallery of the well bears two inscriptions, one in Sanskrit and one in Arabic. As per these inscriptions, the well was constructed in 1500 AD during the reign of Mahmud Shah by Dhai Harir Sultani. The name later corrupted into Dada Hari.

The bottom of the well - there is no water — The bottom of the well – there is no water

Inscriptions in Arabic from the first gallery

Inscriptions in Sanskrit from the first gallery

Behind the stepwell is the 16th century mosque built on a platform. The mosque is a 5 domed structure with 2 minarets (which collapsed long ago). The mausoleum contains the tomb of Dhai Harir Sultani. The tomb is beautiful structure with stone carved lattice windows.

Mosque - architectural details — Mosque – architectural details

Mausoleum - architectural details — Mausoleum – architectural details

One of the lattice windows of the mausoleum

Mata Bhavani’s well
This is another stepwell which is located about 200m north of Dada Hari’s. This well is several hundred years older and is used as a Hindu temple now.

Inside Mata Bhavani's stepwell — Inside Mata Bhavani’s stepwell

Ahmedabad – Part XIV: Sabarmati Ashram

A visit to Ahmedabad will be incomplete without a visit to the Sabarmati Ashram, one of the residences of Gandhiji (Mohandas Karamchand Ghandhi) on the banks of Sabarmati River. He stayed at the ashram from 1915 to 1933. The ashram is a witness to many important historical events connected with the Independence movement of India.

The Ashram was originally established at the Kocharab Bungalow of Jivanlal Desai, a barrister and friend of Gandhiji, on 25 May 1915. At that time the ashram was called the Satyagrah Ashram. But Gandhiji wanted to carry out various activities such as farming and animal husbandry in addition to other pursuits which called for the need for much larger area of useable land. So 2 years later, the ashram was relocated to an area of thirty six acres on the banks of the river Sabarmati, and came to be known as Sabarmati Ashram.

When you enter the ashram, the first thing, which attract your attention is the ‘three wise monkeys’. “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil”.

The ashram now has a museum, the Gandhi Smarak Sangrahalya, built in 1963 and designed by the architect Charles Correa. The museum was inaugurated by Jawaharlal Nehru on 10 May 1963. The museum contains a vast collection of manuscripts of Gandhiji’s writings during his stay here. It holds many photographs and other artefacts connected with the life and works of Gandhiji.

My life is my message - M K Gandhi — My life is my message – M K Gandhi

The main attraction of the ashram is Gandhiji’s own cottage which is known as “Hriday Kunj”. Here visitors can see the things which Gandhiji used – a writing desk, a khadi kurta, a yarn spun by him etc.

“Hriday Kunj”, Gandhiji's own cottage — “Hriday Kunj”, Gandhiji’s own cottage

Another important structure in the ashram is Vinoba Kutir. This cottage is named after Acharya Vinoba Bhave who stayed here. It is also known as Mira Kutir after Miraben (Madeleine Slade, daughter of British Rear Admiral Sir Edmond Slade) who later lived there following Gandhiji’s principles.

On the right hand side of ‘Hridaya Kunj’ is ‘Nandini’, the Ashram guest house, where guests from India and abroad are put up. Many well known personalities like Reginald Reynolds, Deenbandhu Andrews, Henry Polak, Kallenbach, Dharmanand Kosambi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Rajendra Prasad, Badshah Khan and Rajaji stayed here.

The guest house - 'Nandini' — The guest house – ‘Nandini’

Steps leading to the river and the promenade

It was from the Sabarmati ashram that on 12 March 1930, Gandhiji marched to Dandi, 241 miles from the ashram, with 78 companions to protest the British salt law, which increased the taxes on Indian salt in an effort to promote sales of British salt in India. This mass civil disobedience in turn led to the jailing of some 60,000 freedom fighters by the British Raj over the following weeks. Subsequently the ashram was seized by the government. Gandhiji later asked the government to give it back but they refused to do so. On 22nd July 1933, Gandhiji disbanded the ashram, which then became a deserted place after the detention of so many. On 12th March 1930 Gandhiji had vowed that he would not return to the ashram until India had gained independence. Although India was declared a free nation on 15th August 1947, Gandhiji was assassinated on 30th January 1948.

A Short Trip to Udvada

We heard a lot about Udvada in Nani Daman and decided to make a short trip. We hired an auto from Nani Daman to Udvada in the morning which is at a distance of 11km. An auto will cost you Rs. 300 for a one way trip. In ten minutes time we reached the bridge on the coastal highway over Kolak River and crossed over to Valsad district in the state of Gujrat. Just before this bridge there is the border check post between the Union Territory of Daman and the state of Gujrat. In another five minutes the driver dropped us at Udvada in front of the Zorastrian Heritage Museum. Unfortunately the museum was closed for renovation to welcome Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi who is expected to visit Udvada in December 2015 to attend the first ever Iranshah Udvada Utsav. However the shop which sells Parsi memorabilia and curios in the same compound was open for visitors. Few meters from the museum is the Udvada beach.

Another Views of the Museum Building — The Well in the Museum Compound

The Curio Shop inside the Museum Compound

Fishermen Mending the Nets at Udvada Beach

The main attraction of the town is the Parsi fire temple which is called Iran Shah Atash Behram. The Udvada Atash Behram (meaning Victorious Fire) is considered to be the oldest continuously burning fire-temple fire in the world and hence is a major pilgrimage centre for the Parsis from all over the world. It is believed that the original fire was carried by the group of Zorastrians fled from Iran to the west cost of India in the 7th century to escape the Arab Muslim Invasion. Initially the fire was consecrated in Sanjan and during the 14th century it was again moved to the nearby caves in Barhot hills to hide it from the invading armies of Delhi Sultanate. Finally in 1742 it was consecrated in Udvada fire temple. Entry to the fire temple is allowed only to the Parsis and others can only see it from outside.

Few meters away from Iran Shah Atash Behram you can see another fire temple which belongs to a different sect of the same religion.

Another Fire Temple belongs to a different sect

To experience the spirit of this quaint and sleepy town one should walk down its narrow streets lined with houses with its unique architectural design. These houses with high ceilings, sloppy roofs and quaint porches are more than a century old. Some of them are in dilapidated condition as most of the owners are living either in Mumbai or abroad. There are also some newly constructed modern bungalows and apartments.

By the time we reached Globe Hotel, it was lunch time and their restaurant is the best place where one can relish on authentic Parsi food. We are served with a typical Parsi meal called Dhansak. The Dal cooked with mutton and vegetables, served with brown rice and roti is called Dhansak. The rice was cooked in caramel water to give it a typical colour and taste. Also served was the fish fry marinated in turmeric and chilli powder, locally called ‘boi fish’.

You should not miss the home made mango ice cream and sitafal ice cream which are available in the shops or from vendors who are roaming around in autos. There are Iranian bakeries who supplies the local specialities like mawa cakes, kharis and nankhatais.

Dhansak Served at Restaurant in Globe Hotel

Adalaj Stepwell – An architectural marvel

This stepwell is situated in the village of Adalaj 18 km north of Ahmedabad city on the Ahmedabad – Gandhinagar road, in the Indian state of Gujarat. Such stepwells or “Vav”, as it is called in Gujarati, mostly built between the 5th and 19th centuries, are common in Western India and played an integral part in the life of the people of this semi-arid region, as they provided water for drinking, washing and bathing. In the past, these stepwells were frequented by travelers and caravans as stopovers along the trade routes. These wells were also venues for festivals and sacred rituals.

Built by Queen Rudabai in 1499, it has three entrances leading to a huge platform that rests on 16 carved stone pillars with corners marked by shrines. The stepwell is decorated with exquisite stone carvings. Built in the Solanki architectural style, the octagonal well is five storey deep. Each floor is spacious enough to provide for people to congregate. From the first storey level, three staircases lead to the bottom water level of the well. The top part of the well is a vertical space, open to the skies. The motifs of flowers and graphics of Islamic architecture blend well with the symbols of Hindu and Jain gods carved at various levels of the well. An interesting depiction carved from a single block of stone of the Ami Kumbor (symbolic pot of the water of life) and the Kalp Vriksha (the tree of life).

The legend is that the 15th century, Rana Veer Singh of the Vaghela dynasty reigned over this territory, then known as Dandai Desh. His kingdom was attacked by Muhammed Begada, the Muslim ruler of a neighboring kingdom. The Rana king was killed and his territory occupied by the invader. Rana Veer Singh’s widow, the beautiful Rudabai, though in deep grief at the death of her husband, agreed to a marriage proposal by Muhammed Begada on the condition that he would first complete the building of the stepwell. The Muslim king who was enamoured of the queen’s beauty agreed to the proposal and built the well in record time. Once the well was completed, he reminded the queen of her promise to marry him. Instead the queen who had achieved her objective of completing the stepwell started by her husband decided to end her life as mark of devotion to her husband. She circumambulated the stepwell with prayers and jumped into the well, ending her life.

Another legend is linked to the tombs found near the wells, believed to be of the masons who built the well. Begada asked the masons if they could build another similar well and when they agreed he sentenced them to death instead. Begada was so impressed by the architecture of the stepwell that he did not want a replica to be built.

Adalaj Stepwell - Main Entrance — Adalaj Stepwell – Main Entrance

The huge platform that rests on 16 carved stone pillars

View from bottom to top - can see the different levels on top — View from bottom to top – can see the different levels on top

The carving of symbolic pot of the water of life and the tree of life

The tombs found near the wells believed to be the masons who built the well — The tombs found near the wells believed to be of the masons who built the well

Lothal – “the mound of the dead”.

Lothal is located in the Bhal region of the Indian state of Gujarat. It is six kilometres south-east of the Lothal-Bhurkhi railway station on the Ahmedabad-Bhavnagar railway line. The nearest city is Bagodara. Lothal was one of the most prominent cities of the ancient Indus valley civilization dating from 3700 BCE. Discovered in 1954, Lothal was excavated from February 1955 to May 1960 by the Archaeological Survey of India. It was vital and thriving trade centre in ancient time with its trade of beads, gems and valuable ornaments reaching far corners of West Asia and Africa. The techniques and tools they pioneered for bead making and metallurgy have the test time for over 4000 years.

The meaning of Lothal (a combination of Loth and thal) in Gujarati to be “the mound of the dead” is not unusual as the name of the city of Mohenjo-daro in Sindhi means the same.

Archaeologists have unearthed trenches sunk on the northern, eastern and western flanks of the mound, bringing to light the inlet channels and nullah connecting the dock with the river. The findings consist of a mound a township, a marketplace and the dock.

The town was divided into blocks of 1 to 2 meter high platforms of sun dried bricks each serving 20-30 houses of thick mud and brick walls. The city was divided into a citadel or acropolis and a lower town. The rulers of the town lived in the acropolis which featured paved baths underground and surface drains and potable water well. The lower town was subdivided into two sectors. The residential area was located to either side of the marketplace.

Remains of canal opening built with burnt bricks

Can you imagine these bricks were made in 2300 BC?

Remains of washroom drainage system at Lothal

More remains from the excavation site of Lothal

The remains of the ancient drainage system of Lothal

The remains of bathroom-toilet structure at Lothal

The archaeological museum which stands next to the excavated area is holding some of the most prominent collections of Indus-era antiquities in India.

The archeological museum next to the excavation site

How to reach Lothal:
There are frequent buses from Ahmedabad to Saurashtra. Catch one of these buses and get down at Bagodara. There are rickshaws available from there to Lothal.

Modhera Sun Temple – An architectural masterpiece of Solanki period

The Sun Temple of Modhera was built during the reign of Bhima I of Solanki dynasty in 1026-27 AD. It resembles the better known Konark temple in Orissa, which it predates by 200 years. It was similarly designed so that the dawn sun shone on the image of Surya the sun god during the equinoxes.

Built in Solanki style the temple complex has three axially aligned components – the main shrine (garbhagriha) in a hall (gudhamandapa), the outer or assembly hall (sabhamandapa) and the sacred tank (kunda). The sabhamandapa is not in continuation with gudhamandapa but is placed little away as a separate structure. Both the structures are built on paved platform. Their roofs have collapsed a long ago. The platform of plinth is inverted lotus shaped.

The gudhamandapa measures 51×25 feet. It is almost equally divided into gudhamandapa, the hall and gabhagriha the shrine proper. The pradakshinamarga is formed by the passage between the walls of garbhagriha and the outer walls of gudhamandapa. The roof of the passage has stone slabs carved with rosettes.

Garbhagriha, the shrine proper, is square measuring 11 feet from inside. The outer walls of the shrine is highly decorated. The base and walls of the shrine and hall are divided into several stretches with unique carvings. The hall in front of the garbhagriha was roofed by a dome which is supported by eight principal pillars below arranged in an octagon, four pillars in front of shrine proper and two each in recesses of windows and door.
The sabhamandapa or the assembly hall has extensively carved exterior. There are 52 intricately carved pillars representing 52 weeks of the year. The roof was in shape of stepped pyramid, but no longer exists. Inside, the walnut shaped ceiling rises in tiers which has numerous floral girdles. It is 23 feet high and supported by pillars arranged in an octagon. Toranas or the decorated arches arise from the lower brackets of the pillars.
The tank in front of the temple is known as suryakunda. The flight of steps through kirti-torana leads to the reservoir. It is rectangular. It measures 176 feet from north to south and 120 feet from east to west. There are four terraces and recessed steps to descend to reach the bottom of the tank. Several miniature shrines and niches in front of the terrace wall have images of gods.

A closer view of the main temple and the assembly hall

Details of the exterior of the main temple

Main temple - pillars and the ceiling — Main temple – pillars and the ceiling

A closer view of the ceiling of the assembly hall

What you see is some of the intricately carved pillars of the assembly hall. There are total 54 of such pillars — What you see is some of the intricately carved pillars of the assembly hall. There are total 52 of such pillars

View of the sacred tank from the assembly hall

The view of the temple complex - the sacred tank and in the back drop is the assembly hall. The main temple is not visible as it is behind the assembly hall — The view of the temple complex – the sacred tank and in the back drop is the assembly hall. The main temple is not visible as it is behind the assembly hall

Two pillars standing alone near the temple

View of the sculptured steps of the tank with various small shrines

Details of the shrines around the sacred tank

The assembly hall reflected in the sacred tank

The waning of the Solanki dynasty and the decline in Sun worship and the vagaries of the Islamic inconoclasts and devastating earthquakes led to the decline of the Modhera Sun temple. This masterpiece of Solanki architecture was plundered and defaced by the armies of Allauddin Khilji. The marauding soldiers placed gun powder inside the sanctum and set fire to it, creating an explosion that caused the main shikhara to collapse. In spite of all this and its magnificent dome missing, the Modhera Sun temple still remains as an architectural wonder, which can amaze any visitor.

The temple is located at Modhera village of Mehasana district in the Indian state of Gujarat.

A LONG WEEKEND AT DAMAN

Orientation & History
Daman the ex-Portuguese enclave is perched on both sides of Daman Ganga River also called Dawan river by locals. Daman occupies both banks of the river’s estuary. The southern bank is Moti Daman (‘Moti’ means ‘big’) and the Northern bank is Nani Daman (‘Nani’ means ‘small’). Both sides are connected by the Rajiv Gandhi Bridge. The district has an area of 72 square kms. The chief occupation of the area is fishing.

Daman is one of the two districts of the Union Territory of Daman and Diu. It is surrounded by Valsad district of Gujrat from three sides and by Arabian sea on the Western side. Along with Diu and Goa, Daman was taken over by government of India from the Portuguese in 1961. The Portuguese had been occupying the region since 1531 after they captured it from the sultan of Gujarat.

How to Reach
The closest railway station to Daman in is Vapi (13 kms). The city of Surat lies to the north of Vapi at a distance of 93kms by train and the city of Mumbai lies on the south at a distance of 140kms by train. There are ample train services on this route. From Vapi to Daman there are plenty of taxis waiting outside the railway station and also buses from the bus stand which is on a walkable distance from the railway station.

Accommodation & Eating
There are plenty of hotels and restaurants in and around Nani Daman. We have booked in Hotel Marina just behind Nani Daman police station not far from the Taxi/Bus Stand. A Portuguese style house converted in to a hotel with nice wooden interiors and managed by a Parsi couple with very friendly staff. The first floor rooms opening in to the large common area with nice old world ambience. My daughters enjoyed this area very much except for the dust and noise from the rooms on the other side which are under renovation. The Hotel also has a nice restaurant which serves vegetarian and non-vegetarian delicacies.

Sights & Activities

The main attraction is Fort St Jerome popularly known as the Nani Daman Fort situated on the Northern side of the river Daman Ganga . The Portuguese started the construction of the fort in 1614 AD and completed in 1672. The impressive gateway of the fort is opening to the Daman Ganga River. The gateway is adorned with a statue of St Jerome at the top and two giant human figures on either sides of the gateway.

Within the fort is the Church of Our Lady of the Sea which was constructed in 1901. Also within the fort is a small graveyard. Inside the fort there is a pathway all around the walls with splendid views of the Daman Ganga River and the Samudra Narayan Mandir on its banks. It is really interesting to watch the colourful fishing fleet on the river from the top of the fort during sunset.

One of the Giant Figures at the Main Entrance

The Church of Our Lady of the Sea inside the Fort

The View of the Fishing Fleet from the Top of the Nani Daman Fort

View from Nani Daman Fort (You can see the walls of the Moti Daman Fort on the other side of the River)

The Fish Drying Areas Near the Nani Daman Fort

About 3 km north of Nani Daman is the black sand Devka beach. Along the beach there are shacks which are serving liquor and beer and often crowded in the evenings with visitors from across the border where there is prohibition in force.

On the other side of the river is the Moti Daman Fort, dates back to 1559 AD. Inside the fort are the sleepy streets and the quaint churches which are reminiscent of the Portuguese era. Also inside the fort is the Secretariat and few other government departments.

The Church of Bom Jesus built in 1603 is a living tribute to the craftsmanship of the Portuguese artisans. The main feature of the church is the altar and pulpit with its detailed wood carvings. Other church is the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary.

Moti Daman Fort Walls with the Old Light House on the Background

One of the Entrances of the Moti Daman Fort

The Lonely Street Inside the Moti Daman Fort

The Detailed Wood Carvings Inside the Church

Another View of the Moti Daman Walls with the Light House in the Background

The Rajiv Gandhi Bridge which Connects the Moti Daman & Nani Daman

About 3km south of Moti Daman is the Jampore beach. Lined with casuarinas, this beach also has its share of shacks selling beer and sea food. One can also enjoy horse and camel rides on the beach.

The Shacks which Serves Beer and Fried Fish at Jampore Beach

Karni Mata – The Temple of Rats

Yes, it sounds weird, but there is a temple of rats dedicated to Karni Mata at Deshnok, 30 km from Bikaner in the Indian state of Rajasthan. Approximately 20,000 black rats live in this temple, and is highly revered by the devotees. The temple draws devotees and visitors from across the country for blessings. You can also see tourists from around the world flocking to this small town out of curiosity.

According to legend, Karni Mata a 14th century incarnation of Durga, asked the god of death, Yama, to restore to life the son of a grieving storyteller. When Yama refused, Karni Mata reincarnated all dead storytellers as rats, depriving Yama of human souls. It is considered auspicious if the rats scamper over your feet. These holy rodents are locally called as ‘kabas’. There are few white rats in the temple which are considered to be especially holy. Please look for one of the rare white rats. It is good luck for you if you could spot one. Unfortunately I couldn’t spot one, my bad luck.

The temple was constructed in its current form in the early 20th century in the late Mughal style by Maharaj Ganga Singh of Bikaner. In front of the temple is a beautiful marble façade, which has solid silver doors built by Maharaja Ganga Singh. The image of the Goddess is enshrined in the inner sanctum.

Karni Mata Fair is held twice a year at Deshnok – the first and larger fair is held in March-April and the second one is held in September-October. During this time thousands of people travel to the temple by foot.

The temple appeared on the first season of the U.S. reality series ‘The Amazing Race’ in 2001. It featured a challenge were one person from each team had to search the temple for a clue. The Karni Mata temple is one of the wonders of Indians in the game Age of Empires III.

Long line of devotees to enter the temple

Rats every where - feeding on laddoos (a ball shaped sweet very popular in India) — Rats every where – feeding on laddoos (a ball shaped sweet very popular in India)

Nagaur Fort – The Fort of the Hooded Cobra

Nagaur Fort, locally known as Ahhichatragarh (fort of the hooded cobra) is one of the finest examples of Rajput-Mughal architecture. It was one of the first Muslim strongholds in northern India. The fort was originally constructed by Nagavanshis in 2nd century and later renovated by Mohammed Bahlim, a governor of the Ghaznivids. The fort was rebuilt in the early 12th century and altered repeatedly over the centuries. It witnessed many battles. The fort underwent major renovations in 2007. The fort was shortlisted in the contender list for the “Aga Khan Award for Architecture 2013”. This award is bestowed in credit of architectural superiority in the area of historic safeguarding, reprocess, area maintenance and landscape design and enhancement of the surroundings.

The Nagaur fort has three entrance doors. First one was “Sireh Pole”, made of iron and wood spikes to guard against elephant charges and enemy attacks. The second gate is called “Beech ka Pole” and the last one is “Kacheri Pol”. The fort contains many palaces like Deepak Mahal, Hadi Rani Mahal, Akbari Mahal, Bakht Singh Palace, Rani Mahal and Amar Sing Mahal. The fort also contains many fountains, temples, reservoirs, open terraces and beautiful gardens that dates back to the ancient Mughal era. Several delicate portraits embellish numerous ceilings and walls of the places.

Hadi Rani Mahal is the most marvellously adorned palaces of the fort. It has brilliantly engraved designs throughout its ceilings and walls. The legendary character Hadi Rani was the the daughter of Hada Rajput Chundawat Chieftain of Salumbar Mewar who sacrificed herself to motivate her husband to go to the war. When Maharana Raj Singh I (1653-1680) of Mewar called his son to join the battle against Aurangzeb, the Sardar having married only a few days earlier hesitated about going into battle. He asked his wife Hadi Rani for some memento to take with him to the battlefield.

Thinking that she was an obstacle to his doing his duty for Mewar, she cut off her head and put it on a plate in her dying moments. A servant covered it with a cloth and presented it to her husband. The Sardar, devastated but nevertheless proud, tied the memento around his neck by its hair. He fought bravely, making the Aurangzeb forces flee, and after his victory, he got to his knees and cut his neck, having lost the desire to live.

Nagaur lies between Bikaner and Jodhpur. Jodhpur to Nagaur is 140 km and Bikaner to Nagaur is 114 km.

Warangal Fort – A Legacy of the Kakatiya era

Warangal Fort is situated in Warangal in the Indian state of Telangana. It existed since 12th century when it was the capital of the Kakatiya dynasty. Most of the fort is in ruins and you can see the ancient fort walls scattered around the area. Warangal fort is spread over a radius of 19 km between Warangal and Hanamakonda. It was constructed during the reign of King Ganapti Deva and his daughter Rudramma Devi who ruled until 1289 AD and then under her grandson Prataparudra II, whose reign came to be known as the ‘Golden Age’ of Kakatiya dynasty.

The fort has four ornamental gates or arches, known as ‘Kakatiya Kala Thoranam’, that originally formed the entrances to the now ruined great Shiva temple. This Kakatiyan arch has been adopted and officially incorporated into the Emblem of Telangana state after the state formation in 2014. The temple inside the fort was dedicated to the Mother Earth, Swayambhudevi.

In 1323, Muhammad bin Tughluq marched to Warangal with 65,000 mounted soldiers carrying archery, attacked the fort and plundered and destroyed the city. In keeping with tradition, he ordered the destruction of the Swayambhu Shiva temple where the state deity has been deified. All that is now visible of the temple are remnants scattered around the fort. There are many ruins of wall slabs, brackets and ceiling panels, which are exhibited in the outdoor museum.

Warangal Fort - one of the ornamental gates or arches, known as ‘Kakatiya Kala Thoranam’ — Warangal Fort – one of the ornamental gates or arches, known as ‘Kakatiya Kala Thoranam’

Warangal Fort - ‘Kakatiya Kala Thoranam’, the details — Warangal Fort – ‘Kakatiya Kala Thoranam’, the details

Relics from the fort - you can see the minute details of the dress and ornaments — Relics from the fort – you can see the minute details of the dress and ornaments

Relics from the fort - a pillar — Relics from the fort – a pillar

Relics from the fort - a monolithic Nandi statue — Relics from the fort – a monolithic Nandi statue

Relics from the fort - some of the wall panels — Relics from the fort – some of the wall panels

Relics from the fort - this part of the ceiling — Relics from the fort – this part of the ceiling

Relics from the fort - part of the ceiling — Relics from the fort – part of the ceiling

Within 150 meters of the archaeological zone is the Kush Mahal, which is a public hall built in the 14th century by the Delhi Sultans, who had captured the fort. The mahal which is rectangular in shape is built with huge sloping walls, sliced by six arched openings on each of its sides. There are approach steps on the northeast corner that provides access to the top of the structure, which has scenic views of the entire fort complex. Unfortunately, I didn’t take a picture of Kush Mahal (or may be it got deleted by mistake) but I have the pictures of the exhibits and also views from the top of Kush Mahal.

One of the relics exhibited in the gallery of Kush Mahal

Within the southern quarter of the archaeological zone is a big water tank. Inside this tank is a distinctive natural rock formation that protrudes above the water surface. This is called locally as Ourugallu (Single Rock) in Telugu, giving the name Warangal to the fort. A small temple is built over this rock. From the top of the rock one can get the panoramic view of the surrounding area.

The natural rock formation that protrudes above the water surface - There are stairs cut out to reach to the summit — The natural rock formation that protrudes above the water surface – There are stairs cut out to reach to the summit

The temple at the tope of the rock formation

The Qutub Shahi Tombs at Golconda

The Qutub Shahi Tombs are located in the Ibrahim Bagh, around 2 km from the main gate of the Golconda fort. They contain the tombs and mosques built by various kings of the Qutub Shahi dynasty. The galleries of the smaller tombs are of single storey while the larger ones are two storied. In the center of each tomb is a sarcophagus which overlies the actual burial vault in the below crypt. The domes were originally overlaid with blue and green tiles, of which only a few remain today.

The tombs are domed structures built on a square base surrounded by pointed arches, a blend of Persian, Pashtun and Hindu styles. They are structures with intricately carved stonework and are surrounded by landscaped gardens. The tombs were once furnished with carpets, chandeliers and velvet canopies on silver poles. Golden spires were fitted over tombs of the Sultans to distinguish their tombs from those of other members of the royal family.

During the Qutub Shahi period these tombs were held in great veneration. But after their fall, the tombs were neglected until Salar Jung III ordered their restoration in the early 19th century. The garden was laid out and a compound wall was built.

The tomb garden of the Sultans of Golkonda was known as Lagar-e-Faiz Athar (the place for bountiful entertainment) in the days of the Qutub Shahi rulers. Occasionally there used to be some item song, dance or play staged here in the evenings, free of cost to entertain the poor.

The archways inside the Qutub Shahi Tomb

One of the open tombs inside the complex

The typical view of a tomb and the masjid adjacent to that — The typical view of a tomb and the mosque adjacent to that

Arabic calligraphy work on one of the tombs

More of the Qutub Shahi Tombs in the complex

Calligraphy work on one of the tomb stones

Some of the original decorative tile works can still be seen on some of the buildings

The incomplete tomb of Mirza Nizamuddin Ahmed who died in 1674 AD

Almost every tomb has a mosque adjacent to it. The biggest and the grandest mosque is the one adjacent to the mausoleum of Hayat Bakshi Begum, popularly known as the great mosque of the Golkonda tombs. It was built in 1666 AD. Fifteen cupolas decorate the roof and the prayer hall is flanked by two lofty minarets. Hayat Bakshi Begum was the daughter of Muhammed Quli Qutub Shah, the fifth sultan, the wife of Sultan Muhammed Qutub Shah, the sixth sultan and the mother of Abdullah Qutub Shah, the seventh sultan. She was affectionately known as “Ma Saheba” (Revered Mother).

Mausoleum of Hayat Bakshi Begum - closer view — Mausoleum of Hayat Bakshi Begum – closer view

The Great Mosque adjacent to the mausoleum of Hayat Bakshi Begum

The Great Mosque - details — The Great Mosque – details

The Great Mosque - Interior — The Great Mosque – Interior

There is a mortuary bath, which was built by Sultan Quli to facilitate the ritual washing of the bodies of the dead kings and others of the royal family before they were carried to their final resting place. The bath is one of the finest existing specimens of ancient Persian or Turkish baths.

The mortuary bath - Interior — The mortuary bath – Interior

Ramappa Temple – The living example of Kakatiya architecture

Ramappa Temple also known as the Ramalingeswara temple is located in Palampet village 77 km from Warangal in the Indian state of Telangana. The temple is a marvelous example of Kakatiyan creative genius, with beautiful art, intricate carvings adorning the walls, pillars and ceilings. The roof of the temple is built with bricks, which are so light that they are able to float in water.

According to inscriptions the temple was built in 1213 AD by Recherla Rudra, an army general of Kakatiya ruler Ganapati Deva. The temple is known by the name of the architect Ramappa, who built it. It took 40 years to build this temple. Lord Shiva is worshiped in this temple as Ramalingeswara. The hall in front of the sanctum has numerous carved pillars that have been positioned to create an effect that combines light and space. The temple had remained intact even after repeated wars and natural disasters. There was a major earthquake during the 17th century which caused some damages to the temple.

The temple stands on a raised platform with lateral porched entrances on three sides. The main entrance faces east. The sanctum contains a black basalt linga installed on a high pedestal. Over the ceiling of the main hall is depicted the scenes from Ramayana, Siva Purana and other mythological narratives. The striking peculiarity of the building lies in the arrangement of bracket figures, above the kakashasana level decorated with slender graceful madanikas, Naginis etc. in different poses.
There are two small Shiva shrines on either side of the main temple. One of them has an enormous Nandi within, facing the shrine of Shiva which is in very good condition.

Ramappa Temple - A closer view — Ramappa Temple – A closer view

Remappa Temple - Details — Remappa Temple – Details

Remappa Temple - Around the temple — Remappa Temple – Around the temple

A stone inscription in the temple grounds

These exquisitely carved female forms of Madanikas, Nagins etc. are considered to be the marvels of Kakatiya architecture

The detailed carvings on the outer walls

More architectural details of the temple

The main hall of the temple with exquisitely carved pillars

About a kilometer away from the temple is a lake known as ‘Ramappa Cheruvu’. The lake was constructed in the 13th century and is a magnificent example of irrigation work of Kakatiya Rulers. It is spread over an area of more than 82 square kms with lush greenery all around. The lake is overlooked by beautiful hills in the background providing spectacular views.

The lake near the temple - ‘Ramappa Cheruvu’ — The lake near the temple – ‘Ramappa Cheruvu’

How to Reach:
From Warangal and Hanamakonda, there are frequent bus services to Mulugu which is at a distance of 50 km. From Mulugu there are frequent buses available to Palampet which is at a distance of around 20 km. The temple is around 500 meters from here.

Golconda Fort and the Citadel – The erstwhile capital of the Qutub Shahi Dynasty

The Golconda fort is undoubtedly one of the most magnificent fortress complexes in India. The fortress rests on a granite hill 120 meters high surrounded with huge crenellated ramparts. Golconda also known as Gol konda (Round shaped hill) or Golla Konda (Shepherd’s hill) is a citadel cum fort. It is located 11 km from the city of Hyderabad in the Indian state of Telangana. The region is famous for the mines that have produced some of the world’s most famous gems like Koh-i-noor and Hope Diamond. The fort used to have a vault where once these diamonds were stored.

Golconda Fort was first built by the Kakatiya dynasty as part of their western defenses. The fort was rebuilt and strengthened by Rani Rudrama Devi and her successor Prataparudra. Later the fort came under the control of the Musunuri Nayaks, who defeated the Tughlaqi army occupying Warangal. It was ceded by Musunuri Kapaya Nayak to the Bahmini Sultante as part of the treaty in 1364. Under Bahmini rule, Golconda slowly rose to prominence and Sultan Quli Qutub-ul-Mulk was sent to Golconda as the governor in 1501 AD. Bahmini rule gradually weakened during this period and Sultan Quli formally became independent in 1538 AD, establishing the Qutub Shahi dynasty based in Golconda. Over a period of 62 years, the mud fort was expanded by the first three Qutub Shahi sultans into the present structure, a massive fortification of granite extending around 5 km in circumference. It remained the capital of the Qutub Shahi dynasty until 1590 when the capital was shifted to Hyderabad, but the fort remained to be the stronghold of the dynasty.

In January 1687 AD, Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb led his force to besiege the Qutub Shahi dynasty at Golconda Fort. He surrounded the fort with 100 canons in order to breach the granite walls of the fort but with no success. The siege of Golconda lasted 8 months and on various occasions it had pushed the massive Mughal army to its limits, in fact the Golconda fort was probably the most impregnable fort in South Asia. After a siege of 8 months, the Mughals entered the fort through a decisive victory but through the secret treachery of Sarandaz Khan, a military official in the army of the Qutub Shahi dynasty, who was bribed to open one gate and let the Mughals enter the fort. Aurangzeb left the fort intentionally in ruins.

The Golconda consists of four distinct forts with a 10 km long outer wall with 87 semicircular bastions (some still mounted with cannons), eight gateways and four drawbridges, with a number of royal apartments and halls, temples, mosques, magazines, stables etc. The lowest of these is the outermost enclosure into which we enter by “Fateh Darwaza” or Victory Gate (so called after Aurangzeb’s triumphant army marched in through this gate), studded with giant iron spikes (to prevent elephants from battering them down) near the southern corner. At Gateh Darwaza one can experience the fantastic acoustic effect. A hand clap at certain point below the dome at the entrance reverberates and can be heard clearly at the main hall, almost a kilometer away, a warning note to the royals in case of attacks.

It is an arduous task to discover every nook and corner of the Golconda fort which spreads across an area of 11 kms. A visit to the fort reveals the architectural beauty of the various buildings in the complex.

The Fateh Darwaza - a closer view — The Fateh Darwaza – a closer view

Inside the Golconda Fort - The recently paved roads inside the fort — Inside the Golconda Fort – The recently paved roads inside the fort

The Taramati Mosque - Details — The Taramati Mosque – Details

The final and tough climb towards Baradari

Ruins of the palace - view from the top — Ruins of the palace – view from the top

You can see the Baradari at top (Baradari is a pavilion with 12 doors designed to allow free flaw of the air) — You can see the Baradari at top (Baradari is a pavilion with 12 doors designed to allow free flow of the air)

Finally at the top - in front of the Baradari — Finally at the top – in front of the Baradari

The Mahakali temple at the top of Golconda fort

One of the cannons from the hill behind the Mahakali temple

An inscription - nice calligraphy work — An inscription – nice calligraphy work

Inside the fort - you can see the city of Hyderabad far behind — Inside the fort – you can see the city of Hyderabad far behind

The will inside the fort — The well inside the fort

A distant view of the Golconda Fort from Ibrahim Bagh few kilometres from the main entrance

Gulbarga Fort – Where the Bahmani Kingdom thrived…

Gulbarga fort is located not far from the Gulbarga city center in the Gulbarga district of the Indian state of Karnataka. The fort was originally built by Raja Gulchand, a feudatory of the Kakatiyas of Warangal. The fort was strengthened with heavy fortification by Alauddin Hasan Bahman Shah, the ruler of the Bahmani dynasty. Gulbarga was the capital of the Bahmani Kingdom from 1347 to 1424 AD with its headquarters at Gulbarga fort. In the year 1434 AD the capital was transferred to Bidar. It is said that with the establishment of the Bahmani Kingdom, the Muslim rule took firm roots in the Deccan. The Bahmani Sultans facilitated the immigrants from Iraq, Iran and Central Asia which changed the socio-cultural and religious life in the Deccan but was well amalgamated with Hindu traditions.

The fort was surrounded by a 30 feet wide moat and double fortification. A citadel was made in the center of the fort. This monumental structure was surrounded by 15 ramparts from inside with 26 cannons, some which are 8 meters long and is still well preserved.

The Jami Masjid is the most impressive structure inside the fort. It was built by Muhammad Shah I to commemorate Gulbarga as the capital of the Bahmini Sultanate. The Masjid was designed in line with the Great Mosque of Cordoba in Spain by a Moorish architect. It has a dimension of 216 x 176 feet. The mosque has no open courtyard. The outer passageways surround the prayer hall on three sides and have low open arcades with arches. They form a rectangular layout with ten bays each on the north and the south and seven bays on the east. It is an excellent example of Bahmani architectural style a combination of Persian, Moorish and Indian styles.

Gulbarga Fort - the moat and the bastions — Gulbarga Fort – the moat and the bastions

The remaining part of the citadel inside the fort

One of the canons positioned on top of the bastion

One of the canon balls scattered around the fort

The Jami Masjid - details — The Jami Masjid – details

Kasargod – The Land of Forts and Beaches

Kasargod is the northernmost district of Kerala is bordering the Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka is famous for its forts and pristine beaches. It is located 50 km south of Mangalore city. The principle language of Kasargod is Malayalam and Kannada but other languages like Tulu, Beary Bhasha (spoken by Tuluva-Malayali Muslims) and Konkani are also widely spoken. Hindi and Urdu are spoken to a lesser extent. Havyaka speakers also have a strong base here. Havyaka Brahmins are the Hindu Pancha Dravida Brahmin Subsect primarily from Karnataka and North Malabar. They speak a unique language a dialect of Kannada known as Havigannada. So many languages for such a small town….. a living testimony to its cosmopolitan nature. The famous Malik Dinar Mosque is also located in Kasargod. It contains the grave of Malik Dinar one of the companions of Prophet Mohammed. The mosque is built in typical Kerala style of architecture.

BEKAL FORT

The major attraction of Kasargod is the Bekal Fort. This is the largest fort in Kerala, spreading over 40 acres. Unlike most other Indian forts, Bekal Fort was not a center of administration and as a result no remains of palace, mansion or such buildings are found within the fort. The fort was built especially for fulfilling defense requirements. The fort was constructed by Shivappa Nayaka of Bednore in 1650 AD. During the Perumal Age Bekal was part of Mahodayapuram. Following the decline of Perumals of Mahodayapuram by 12th Century AD, North Kerala including Bekal came under the sovereignty of Chirakkal Royal Family. The Maritime importance of Bekal increased much during this period and it became an important port town of Tulunadu and Malabar.

After the decline of Vijayanagara Empire following the Battle of Talikota in 1565 AD, the Keladi Nayakas (Ikkeri Nayakas) came into prominence. Fully understanding the political and economic importance of this region the Nayakas attacked and annexed this region to their kingdom. Bekal served as the nucleus in establishing the dominance of Nayakas in Malabar. Later Hyder Ali conquered the Nayakas and Bekal fell into the hands of Mysore kings. Bekal served as an important military station for Tipu Sultan when he attacked Malabar. After the deat of Tipu Sultan in the fourth Anglo-Mysore war in 1799 the fort came under the British East India Company.

Three fourth of the Bekal Fort’s exterior is surrounded by sea. The fort offers superb view of the Arabian Sea from its tall observation towers where a few centuries ago huge cannons used to be placed. Today Bekal Fort and its surrounding beach is a famous tourist destination and is a favourite shooting location for film makers. The famous song “Tu hi re” from Mani Ratnam’s movie “Bombay” was shot at Bekal Fort.

There are frequent buses from Kasargod bus stand to Pallikara which is at distance of 12 km from Kasargod and the fort is on a 5 minutes’ walk from there. Kanhangad also is at the same distance and there are frequent buses on this route.

The Main Entrance seen from inside the Fort

View of the fort walls and the coconut palms outside

Huge Laterite walls and the observation point

View of the Arabian Sea from the Fort walls

View of the Bekal beach seen from the Fort

Another view from the opening on the wall

One of the ramparts which touches the shore

The pedestrian path made by ASI around the fort

View of the waves touching the rocky shores

KAPPIL BEACH

This less crowded and unexplored beach is not very far from the Bekal fort and a better option for tourists who seek greater solitude. The small hill on this beach popularly known as Kodi cliff is a major attraction. From the top of this cliff you can enjoy the charming view of the Arabian Sea. The thick groves of casuarina trees and coconut palms along the beach is a visual treat for the tourists. The Taj Vivanta Luxury resort is also located close to Kappil beach.

The Coconut groves around a small lagoon next to the beach

The minaret of the mosque stretching from the palm groves

Hammock on the beach from the Taj Vivanta Resort

The beach chairs an extension of the Tanj Vivanta Resort

This local village gang who were playing on the sea shore were more than happy to pose for the camera

CHANDRAGIRI FORT

Chandragiri Fort is located at the confluence of Payaswini River and the Arabian Sea. The Chandragiri fort was built by Shivappa Nayaka of Ikkeri in the 17th century. Perched atop a hill the Chandragiri fort is a vantage point to view of the sunset. It is 50 meters above sea level and occupies an area of 7 acres. Inside the fort there is a deep well and a pond.

The fort walls and the observation tower

A short walk from the Fort will take you to the river bank…

Thick coconut palm groves along the river

How to Reach:
It is located 12 km from Bekal fort and 4 km from Kasargod town. There are frequent buses available from Beakal and Kasardgod to reach Chandragiri. You can get down at Melparamba and walk down to the fort which is 10 minutes away. The nearest railway station is Kasargod.

Shravanabelagola and the Gomateshvara Statue

Shravanabelagola is a city located near Channarayaptna of Hassan District in the Indian state of Karnataka. The Gomateshvara statue at Shravanabelagola is one of the most important tirthas (pilgrimage destinations) in Jainism. The town is a prominent centre for Jaina art, architecture, religion and culture for over 2,300 years. It is a town of ponds and temples. The name of this holy center is derived from the pond called ‘biligola’ (white pond) between two hills. It is believed that Chandragupta Maurya, the founder of the Maurya Dynasty and the Maurya Empire died here in 298 BC after he became a Jain monk and assumed an ascetic life style.

Shravanabelagola has two hills, Chandragiri and Vindhyagiri. The 58 feet tall monolithic statue of Gomateshvara (it is also referred as “Bahubali” by the Jains) is located on the Vindyagiri Hill. It is considered to be the world’s largest monolithic stone statue. The statue is carved beautifully from a single block of rock with accurate sense of proportion and expression. Gomata has curly really nice hair in ringlets on the head and long, large ears. His eyes are open as if viewing the world with detachment. The facial features are perfectly chiseled with a faint touch of smile at the corner of his lips and embody calm vitality. There is an anthill in the background which signifies his incessant penance and from where emerges a snake and creepers which twine around both his legs and his arms culminating as cluster of flowers and berries at the upper portion of the arms. The posture of meditation, of the digambara (nude) statue is known as ‘Kayotsarga’, symbolizing renunciation, self-control and subjugation of ego as the first step towards salvation. It represents the complete victory over earthly desires and needs that hamper spirtual ascent towards divinity.

The statue at Shravanabelagola was voted by the readers of “Times of India” a leading daily, as the first of the Seven Wonders of India by scoring 49% votes.

The base of the statue has an inscription in Prakrit, dating to 981 AD. The inscription praises the king who funded the effort and his general, Chavundaraya who erected the statue for his mother. Every twelve years, thousands of devotees congregate here to perform the Mahamastakabhisheka, a spectacular ceremony in which the statue is anointed with water, turmeric, rice flour, sugar cane juice, sandalwood paste, saffron, and gold and silver flowers.

The Vindhyagiri hill is about 470 feet above the ground and is of solid rock. It must be climbed barefoot. Tourists can use the main steps from the town consisting of dual flights of about 660 steps to the top which was cut out in the rock. You may see old people climb these steps however they are steep and it can be a hard climb. In summer the rock can get hot, so you may carry a pair of socks to be worn while climbing the steps. Old people who cannot climb can avail palanquin services. The palanquin bearers carry them on chair.

The 58 feet tall monolithic statue of Gommateshvara — The 58 feet tall monolithic statue of Gomateshvara

The steep flight of steps towards the Vindhyagiri hill

The view of the 'White Pond" from top of the Vindyagiri hill and in the backdrops you can see the Chandragiri hill — The view of the ‘White Pond” from top of the Vindyagiri hill and in the backdrops you can see the Chandragiri hill

The Gomateshwars statue at the top of the Vindyagiri hill — The Gomateshvara statue at the top of the Vindyagiri hill

Pilgrims offering prayers at the feet of the satue

Amazing view from top of the Vindyagiri hill

Chandragiri hill is a small hill located just opposite to the Vindhyagiri hill. It is believed that Chandragupta Maurya, the founder of the Maurya dynasty, breathed his last in this hill. Steps have been cut out in this hill and the ascent is similar to that of Vindhyagiri. It is steep and hard to climb. The hill has memorials to numerous monks and shravakas who have meditated here. Chandragiri also has the tomb of Chandragupta Maurya. There are also several monuments of interest scattered around this hill.

Steps leading to the summit of Chandragiri hill

The view of the pond from Chandragiri hill

Various shrines at the top of Chandragiri hill

One of the inscriptions on the rock are protected by glass

View of Vindyagiri hill from Chandragiri

Amazing views of the surrounding areas from Chandragiri hill

Sri Vidyashankara Temple at Sringeri

Sringeri is the site of the first matha (Sringeri Sharada Peetha) established by Adi Shankara in the 8th Century AD located on the banks of river Tunga. A ‘matha’ is a Sanskrit word means “cloister, institute or college” and it also refers to a monastery in Hinduism. Adi Shankara was the Indian philosopher and theologian who consolidated the doctrine of Advaita Vedanta and is credited with unifying and establishing the main currents of thought in Hinduism.

According to legend, Adi Shankaracharya is said to have selected the site as the place to stay and teach his disciples, because when he was walking by the Tunga river, he saw a cobra with a raised hood, providing shelter from the hot sun, to a frog about to spawn. Impressed with the place where natural enemies had gone beyond their instincts, he stayed here for twelve years.

Sringeri is home to the historic temples of Sri Sharadamba Temple and Sri Vidyashankara Temple. The Sharadamba temple is dedicated to the Goddess of learning and wisdom. The temple structure made in wood was damaged by a fire in the early 20th century and was rebuilt in the traditional south Indian Chettinadu style of temple architecture.

The Vidyashankara temple was built in commemoration of the pontiff Vidyashankara, around 1357-58 AD by Harihara and Bukka, the brothers who founded the Vijayanagara Empire. The temple, has a number of stone sculptures from Hindu mythology. Inscriptions in the temple record contributions made by several Vijayanagara emperors but the temple was probably built on an earlier Hoysala site as it combines Hoysala and Vijaynagara architectural features. The architecture also exhibits the astronomical expertise of medieval south Indian temple builders. The main temple hall features 12 pillars designated for the 12 signs of the Zodiac. Windows and doors along the temple walls are arranged such that the equinoxes sunrise rays reach the deity. The temple was built in the year 1338 AD. It is a unique monument built entirely of stone combining both Hoysala and Dravidian architectural styles. The structure, stand on a high plinth and commands a magnificent view from the hills and their slopes all around.

The twelve pillars in the Vidyashankar temple are popularly known as Rashistambhas (zodiacal Pillars). Symbols of the twelve divisions of the zodiac are engraved on these pillars. It is said that the design of the pillars involved certain astronomical concepts like the first rays of the rising sun fall on specific pillars with the zodiacal symbol on the pillar corresponding to the position of the sun.

How to Reach & Where to stay
KSRTC Buses operates from Bangalore. It is 95 km from Shimoga which is connected to Bangalore through bus and rail routes. Sringeri can also be reached from Mangalore which is at a distance of 105 km by road. From Udupi it is at a distance of 80 km via Hebri and Agumbe.

The town has guest houses run by the temple administration of which the details can be obtained from the Sringeri Mutt web site. There are many private lodges available as well.

Inside the temple complex - on the left side is the Sri Sharadamba Temple — Inside the temple complex – on the left side is the Sri Sharadamba Temple

Sri Vidyashankara Temple - Details — Sri Vidyashankara Temple – Details

Sri Vidyashankara Temple and the entrance tower in the back ground

View of the Tunga River from the temple complex

View of the temple complex from the river

View of the temple, entrance tower and the Yaga mandapa

Murudeshwara Temple and the Shiva Statue

At a distance of 162 km from Mangalore lies Murudeshwara, bounded by the Arabian Sea and Western Ghats. It is in the Bhatkal Taluk of Uttar Kannada district in the state of Karnataka. This is a famous pilgrimage site in South India, being considered as the abode of Lord Shiva. Murudeshwara is famous for its Shiva statue, which is 123 feet high and considered as the second tallest statue of Shiva in the world after the Kailashnath Mahadev Statue in Nepal. Equally famous is the 249 feet temple tower of Murudeshwara temple which is visible from great distances.

According to the legend Ravana brought the Atma Lingam from Mount Kailash. Lord Ganesha using his trick fooled Ravana on his way to Lanka and put down the Linga on the ground at Gokarna. Angered by this Ravana tried to uproot and destroy the Linga. The broken pieces of the linga were cast away. The covering cloth of the lingam fell at Kanduka Giri and the Murudeshwara temple was built at the site.

The temple, tower and the statue are built on the Kanduka Hill which is surrounded on three sides by the waters of the Arabian Sea. A lift is installed for the convenience of pilgrims and tourists to reach the top of the 249 feet high tower, which offers breathtaking views of the surrounding sea, the fishing village and the huge Shiva statue. One can see the shore line for many kilometers from the top of the tower.

Two life-sized elephants in concrete stand guard at the entrance of the tower. There are also few scenes from the Bhagavat Gita and Puranas that are enacted in tableaus in the complex.

The imposing tower of the Murudeshwara temple

Two life-sized elephants in concrete stand guard at the steps leading to the tower — Two life-size elephants in concrete stand guard at the steps leading to the tower

View of the temple tower and the Shiva statue behind it and the temple at the background

View of the statue from the top of the tower

View of the fishing boats from top of the tower

View from top of the temple tower — View from tope of the temple tower

One can see the shore line for kilometres from the top of the tower

Another view from the top — Anther view from the top

Some of the scenes from Bhagavat Gita and Puranas are enacted in tableaus in the complex

Gallery – Malpe Fishing Harbour

Malpe is a natural port about six kilometers to the west of Udupi town in Karnataka. It is an important port and fishing harbour on the Karnataka coast. It is situated on the mouth of Malpe River. Malpe is a hub of Mogaveera population. Mogaveera were originally a fishing community, reside mainly in Dakshina Kannada. Blessed with scenic views the harobour is the hub of busy fishing and commercial activities. There are frequent local buses available from Udupi bus stand to Malpe.

Mirjan Fort – An architectural wonder in laterite stone

The Mirjan Fort is located on the west coast of the Indian state of Karnataka. The fort was built in the 16th century by Queen Chennabhairadevi of Gersoppa. She ruled for 54 years and also lived in the fort. During her reign the port at Mirjan was used for shipping pepper, saltpetre (Potassium nitrate) and betel nut to Surat. The fort known for its architectural elegance, was the location for several battles in the past.

In 1757 the Marathas had seized the Mirjan Fort. The event that led to the capture of the fort was due to the death of Basappa Naik, the last ruler of Bednur, in 1755. His wife has taken control, representing her 17 year old adopted son, Chanbasaviah. Since her adopted son opposed her taking a “paramour”, she got him murdered. This had resulted in a revolt by the agitated local people, and taking advantage of the situation the Marathas had captured the fort.

You can see both Portuguese and Islamic influences in the fort’s construction. The fort’s round bastions, for example, are typical of Indian forts built by Islamic rulers. The single tall square lookout tower along the southern wall is characteristic of Portuguese military architecture of 1500s.

The fort is located on the bank of the Aganashini River. The mouth of the river is 12 km from the Mirjan village. The fort was built over an area of 10 acres with laterite stone. It has high walls and bastions. The fort has four entrances (one main and three subsidiary entrances) and many wells, which are interlinked and with access channels leading to the circular moat (used as defense measure to protect the fort) that once fully surrounded the fort, and leading to the canal works outside the fort’s limits. At each entrance, there are wide steps to enter the fort. The fort which was mostly in ruins was recently restored by the Archaeological department.

The laterite built high walls and the bastions

Some of the excavated items scattered around this tree inside the fort

This part of the fort are still in ruins

The view of Aganashini River from the fort

The watch tower and the flag hoisting tower inside the fort

During the year 2000-01, ASI (Archaeological Survey of India) carried out excavations in the precincts of the fort. Antiquarian findings also included a gold coin minted in 1652 with inscriptions that attribute it to the Portuguese Viceroy Conde De Sarzedas during the reign of Joao IV, cannon balls, Chinese porcelain, clay tablets with Islamic inscriptions. Seven dumb-bells, 50 iron bullets, coins and designed earth pots belonging to Sarpmallika dynasty were also found during the excavations at the fort.

How to Reach:
It is about half a km from the National Highway 17 and 11 km from Gokarna, the Hindu pilgrimage center on the west coast of India.

Anegundi – The Mythical Kishkindha Kingdom

Anegundi the picturesque village situated on the northern bank of Tungabhadra River is older than Hampi. It is believed to be Kishkindha the monkey kingdom mentioned in the epic Ramayana. Anjanadri hill in Anegundi is believed to be the birth place of Hanuman. At Anegundi there was a pre historic settlement called Onake Kindi. The rock paintings discovered in Elu gudda hill range belongs to 1500 BC. The Pampa Sarovar located in Anegundi is considered to be sacred by Hindus. Nava Brindavana located in Anegundi contains tombs of nine Hindu Madhwa Saints. Anegundi is the cradle of the Krishnadeveraya dynasty and the royal descendants of the Vijayanagara royal family are still residing there. This place is a perfect blend of mythology and history sprinkled with lush green paddy fields and huge formations of boulders.

To reach Anegundi from Hampi you can just cross over to the other side of the Tungabhadra River. The river crossing point is very near to the Virupaksha temple. There are motorboats and coracles available to cross the river. A coracle is a circular shaped country boat used to cross the river. You can call it a huge floating basket. It is made up of bamboo, cane and plastic sheets. It hardly takes five minutes to cross the river and once on the other side the best way to explore Anegundi is to hire a rikshaw for a day. I could hire a riskshaw for a day at Rs.900/-. Mr. Basha the driver was a very nice person and was very co-operative and helpful in exploring all the major attractions of Anegundi. He is highly recommended and can be contacted on his mobile no. 09480561368.

From the crossing point you can see the Virupaksha Temple tower and the bathing ghats.

River Tungabhadra gushing through the boulders

This sculpture is on a vertical rock near the crossing area

Coracles and motor boat at the crossing area

ANJANADRI HILL
In local language it is called Anjanadri Betta, believed to be the birth place of lord Hanuman. It is located 3 kms west of Anegundi village. One has to climb about 600 steps to reach the summit, sometimes literally crawling below hanging boulders. The whole place is filled with mischievous monkeys, so be careful if you are carrying any food items with you. The Anjaneya temple is at the edge of the cliff. The view from top is really incredible with green patches of paddy fields and coconut plantation with mighty Tungabhadra flowing in between. From the top you can even see the far away Matanga hill on the Hampi side.

Some time you have to crawl below these boulders

The Anjaneya Temple at the edge of the cliff

The breath taking view from the top of Anjanadri Hill

Another View from the top of Anjanadri Hill

Coconut plantations and paddy fields as seen from the top

You can see River Tungabhadra and the distant hills

From the top you could see the orange painted zigzag stepped path

PAMPA SAROVAR
Pampa Sarovar is a sacred pond mentioned in the scriptures and located next to the temple of Lord Shiva and his consort Pampa an incarnation of goddess Parvathi. The pond and the temple are hidden in a valley surrounded by boulder hills on three sides. The rectangular pond was fully covered by lotus until recently it was cleaned. From the base of the Anjanadri Hill when you go to Pampa Sarovar you will pass by the remains of the ancient aqueduct which is known as the Bukka’s Aqueduct.

The Bukka's aqueduct on the way to Pampa Sarovar — The Bukka’s aqueduct on the way to Pampa Sarovar

DURGA TEMPLE & ANEGUNDI FORT
From Pampa Sarovar we proceeded to the Durga Temple. From behind the Durga Temple a stepped path will lead you to the ancient Anegundi fort. There is very little left of the ancient fort except the main gate. Once you enter the gate and climb further through the boulder strewn path you will reach the edge of the cliff from where you can have an aerial view of the Pampa Sarovar.

See the coconuts hanged on the tree in front of the Durga Temple

The remains of the ancient fortification

The cave supposed to be of Vaali of Ramayana

Aerial view of the Pampa Sarovar from the cliff

GAGAN MAHAL & RANGANATHA TEMPLE
Right in the middle of the Anegundi village is the structure called Gagan Mahal, the ancient palace of the Vijayanagara rulers. Now this once abode of the kings and Queens serves as the local administrative building. The whole structure is in semi ruined state. Next to Gagan Mahal is the ancient Ranganatha Temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu

The Temple Chariot in front of the Ranganatha Temple

NAVABRINDAVANAM & RIVERSIDE ATTRACTIONS
Navabrindavanam is a small island in the Tungabhadra River situated near to Anegundi village. There are motor boats and coracles available to reach there from the jetty near Anegundi village. This five minutes boat ride will offer you the scenic views of the river and the surroundings. Navabrindavanam is a major pilgrimage centre for the followers of Shri Raghavendra. It has the samadhis of nine Madhwa saints, followers of Madhavacharya and predecessors of Raghavendra. Near to the jetty you will see a mandapa with 64 pillars believed to be the tomb of Krisnadevaraya. King Krishnadevaraya was known to be a master in 64 various arts (vidyas) and hence these 64 pillars are erected on his tomb. Half a kilometre away from the jetty there is a small temple and a cave. It is believed that Lord Rama shot the arrow from here which killed Vaali the monkey king of Kishkindha.

The Boat Jetty for Navabrindavana at Anegundi Village

The Navabrindavana where you can see the Tombs of the Saints

The Names of the Saints Painted on the Wall

Picturesque view of the river and surroundings

The Mandapa with 64 pillars believed to be the tomb of Krishnadevaraya

This is the place from where Lord Ram believed to have shot the arrow which killed Vaali

THE ROCK PAINTINGS OF ONAKE KINDI
Our next destination is Onake Kindi the pre historic settlement, famous for its rock paintings dating back to 2000 BCE. My guide cum driver Basha drove through the paddy fields and coconut plantations and suddenly stopped below a coconut tree on the side of the road. Surprisingly there are no signboards to guide you. From there we walked through the fields and reached a small path leading to an enclosure surrounded by huge boulders on all the sides. Yes we are three. The paintings depict humans, cattle and hunting scenes. There are also paintings depicting of mystic and geometric designs. The paintings reminded me of the rock paintings of Bhimbetka which are 40,000 years old.

SANAPUR LAKE
From the cave paintings we proceeded to Sanapur Lake. The road was scenic with the lush green paddy fields and banana plantation. Also the lake was huge and picturesque with full of water and hill in the backdrop. This place is a must visit in Anegundi. There are coracle ride available in the lake. I saw many people swimming in the waters of the lake mostly foreigners. To my amazement I noticed a signboard warning about crocodiles in the waters!!!!

By 5.30PM I was dropped at the river crossing point to Hampi, after a memorable journey through Kishkindha the land of the monkeys.

Mahakuta Group of Temples – Another Chalukyan Legacy

Mahakuta group of temples are located at Mahakuta village, 15 kilometers from Badami in the Bagalkot district of Karnataka. The temples are dated to the 6th and 7th Century AD and where constructed by the early kings of the Chalukya dynasty of Badami. The temples share the common Chalukya style followed at Aihole temples. The most important temple is Mahakuteshwara temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. It was built in the Dravidian style. It has a Shiv Linga in the shrine topped by a curvilinear tower. There are many other temples in the complex. There is natural spring fed tank inside the temple complex known as Vishnu Pushkarini. This is one of the major attractions in the temple complex and you can see many people taking a holy bath in this tank.

The Mallikarjuna Temple on the other side of the tank is very similar to that of the Mahakuteshwar temple but small in size. There are around two dozen small temples in the temple complex.

Mahakuta Temple Complex - Mahakuteshwar Temple — Mahakuta Temple Complex – Mahakuteshwar Temple

Mahakuta Temple Complex - Various small shrines inside the temple complex — Mahakuta Temple Complex – Various small shrines inside the temple complex

Mahakuta Temple Complex - Carvings — Mahakuta Temple Complex – Carvings

Another view of the Temple complex - with scattered ruins — Another view of the Temple complex – with scattered ruins

The Vishnu Pushkarini inside the temple complex

The small shrine inside the tank with Shiv Linga

One of the small shrines inside the complex

How to Rach:
Mahakuta is well connected by road to Badami. There are local transport available from Badami. There are regular Autos & Tum Tum plying between Badami and Mahakuta.

Aihole & Pattadakal – The Cradle of South Indian Temple Architecture

Aihole and Pattadakal located on the banks of Malaprabha River are often considered as the cradle of South Indian architecture. The south Indian Temple architecture was experimented and evolved in these places in the 5th and 6th centuries. Once in Badami, these are a must visit for any travel enthusiast. You can visit both Aihole and Pattadakal in a single day from Badami if you set out in the early morning. It is best to start with the morning bus to Aihole (one hour). Frequent buses run between Aihole and Pattadakal (half an hour) and from Pattadakal to Badami (one hour).

AIHOLE
Aihole was earlier known as Ayyavole and Aryapura in in the ancient inscriptions. It was established in the 450 AD as the first capital of Chalukya kings and has about 125 stone temples some of which were constructed as experimental structures by artisans of Chalukayan period. The early Chalukyas inherited architectural styles largely from their neighbours to the north and south of their kingdom. The Chalukyan artisans brought together the prevailing styles in their neighbourhood to create the Chalukyan style. The prominent temple groups at Aihole are the Kontigudi group and the Galgantha group of temples, although historians have divided all the temples into 22 groups.

The most impressive temple in Aihole is Durga Temple which dates to the 7th century. It is notable for its semicircular apse which was copied from Buddhist architecture and for the remains of the curvilinear sikhara. Intricate carvings adorn the colonnaded passageway around the temple sanctuary. To the south of the Durga Temple are several other collections of temples the Gandar, Ladkhan, Kontigudi and Hucchapaya groups with pavilions and slightly sloping roofs.

Durga Temple - Front View — Durga Temple – Front View

Durga Temple - Carvings on the pillar — Durga Temple – Carvings on the pillar

Deurga Temple - More Views — Deurga Temple – More Views

Durga Temple - Interior — Durga Temple – Interior

Durga Temple - Interior view — Durga Temple – Interior view

Durga Temple - View of the ceiling — Durga Temple – View of the ceiling

The Colonnade Passage around the Durga Temple Sanctuary

Durga Temple - Exterior View — Durga Temple – Exterior View

Lad Khan Temple consists of a shrine with two mantapas in front of it. The shrine bears Shiva Lingam. The mukha mantapa in front of the sanctum has a set of 12 carved pillars. There are also stone grids on the wall carrying floral designs. The temple was built by the Chalukyan kings in the 5th century.

Ravan Phadi cave is one of the oldest rock cut temple in Aihole. The Temple dates back to the 6th century, with rectangular shrine, with two mantapas. There is a Shivlinga in the sanctum sanctorum. The walls and sides of the temple are covered with large figures including dancing Shiva.

About a kilometre from the Durga temple on a hilltop is the Jain Meguti temple. It is the only dated monument built in 634 AD. The temple sits on a raised platform, and flight of stairs leads to another shrine on the roof, directly above the main shrine. From the roof of this temple one can have panoramic view of the surrounding plain with 100 or more temples scattered all around. This temple which was probably never completed gives important evidence of the early development in Dravidian style of architecture. The inscription on the outer wall of the temple records the construction of the temple by Ravikeerthi, a scholar in the court of emperor Pulakeshin II.

The Inscription on the outer wall of the Temple

View of Aihole Village from top of Meguti Temple

En route to Meguti temple on the same hillock there is the 6th century two storied Buddhist cave temple which is partly a rock cut temple.

This is Raviyappa (in the middle) and his friends, the local boy whom I met around the ruins

A typical village home at Aihole Village

A bullock cart in front of the village home

A farmer's house with all the paraphernalia — A farmer’s house with all the paraphernalia

PATTADAKAL
Pattadakal also spelled as Pattadakallu is located on the left bank of Malaprabha River and about 10 kilometres from Aihole. It is here that the Chalukyan kings were coronated. There are ten temples at Pattadakal including a Jain sanctuary belonging to various architectural styles. The Chalukyan style of temple architecture originated in Aihole and evolved their distinctive style at Pattadakal. There are many Kannada language inscriptions at Pattadakal. The site displays both Nagara and Dravidian style of architecture.

Virupaskha temple is the largest and grandest of all temples in Pattadakal built in 8th century by Queen Lokamhadevi to commemorate her husband’s (Vikramaditya II) victory over the Pallavas of Kanchi.

Sangameshvara Temple is the oldest temple in Pattadakal, built by Chalukya King Vijayaditya Satyashraya. The temple is in Dravidian style.

Mallikarjuna Temple is smaller version of the Virupaksha temple and was built by Vikramaditya’s second queen Trilokymahadevi in 745 AD.

Papanatha Temple is made in the Vesara style in 680 AD. The temple was started in Nagara style but later changed to more balance Dravidian style.

Apart from these major temples, several small Shiva shrines are seen here. The abundance of Shiva temples here clearly indicates that the place was a great Shaiva center in ancient times.

Pattadakal - Kashi Vishwanath Temple — Pattadakal – Kashi Vishwanath Temple

Pattadakal - Carvings on the Walls — Pattadakal – Carvings on the Walls

Pattadakal - Various sculptures — Pattadakal – Various sculptures

Pttadakal - Old Kannada Inscription — Pttadakal – Old Kannada Inscription

Pattadakal - Papanatha Temple — Pattadakal – Papanatha Temple

Patadakal - More carvings — Patadakal – More carvings

Pattadakal - Carvings — Pattadakal – Carvings

S small shrine inside the temple complex

Pattadakal - Carved pillars — Pattadakal – Carved pillars

Pattadakal - The monolithic Nandhi in one of the shrines — Pattadakal – The monolithic Nandhi in one of the shrines

Hampi – The Ruins of Vijayanagara (Part 1)

Hampi is a remote village in northern Karnataka, was once the capital of the mighty Vijayanagara Empire. In its prime it was one of the richest and largest cities of the world. It is situated on the banks of Tungabhadra River. It is surrounded by hills on three sides and gushing Tungabhadra on the other. The ruins of Hampi stand testimony to the architectural splendour of the Vijayanagara era. The huge boulders from the surrounding hills where used in carving the temples and other structures of the capital city. The ruins are declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986. Its magnificent and functioning temples make it a pilgrim’s delight and the royal pavilions and buildings make it a backpacker’s paradise.

The nearest rail head is Hospet which is 13 kms from Hampi and is well connected by a fleet of state transport buses and rikshaws. It is 535 kms from Bangalore and is 74 kms away from Bellary the district capital.

There are basic accommodations available near the Hampi bus stand and around Hampi bazaar. Almost every village household will provide homestay and local food. There are many lodges with A/C, TV and Wi-fi connections. During season it is a must to make prior reservation otherwise you may find it difficult to get a decent accommodation. There are few roof top restaurants which offer temple views and river views. “Mango Tree Restaurant” is the best which is always crowded with tourists, a hot favourite among foreign tourists.

The best time to visit Hampi is from November to March. The best way to explore Hampi is by foot but make sure you can cover 10 to 15 kms a day. It is really interesting to explore the ruins by walking through the paddy fields and banana plantations with occasional breaks with coconut water and bananas which are available with vendors at every nook and corner. Alternatively you can hire a bicycle from one of the shops in Hampi Bazaar. Most of them rent bicycles on hourly basis and daily basis on very reasonable rates. You can hire rikshaws also on daily basis but only after negotiating the prices before starting the tour.

Monuments of Hampi

VIRUPAKSHA TEMPLE

The main attraction of Hampi is the Virupaksha Temple Complex with its imposing tower of the entrance gopura, which is 50 meters high. This is a functioning temple and the main point of interest for the pilgrims.

Painted Ceiling of the Mandapa in Virupaksha Temple Complex

Stone Carvings inside the Mandapa of Virupaksha Temple

Carvings in side the Mandapa of Virupaksha Temple

The Columned Gallery inside the Virupaksha Temple Complex

The Stone Carved Urn inside the Virupaksha Temple

The Pillared Hall inside the Virupaksha Temple Complex

HEMAKUTA HILL & GANESHA MONOLITHS

From the main gopura of Virupaksha Temple turn right and follow the stepped path to reach the Hemakuta Hill and the two Ganesh Monoliths.

A Small Water Body at the Hemakuta Hill Top

Virupaksha Temple Complex as Seen from Hemakuta Hill Top

Shree Krishna Temple Complex as Seen from Hemakuta Hill Top

A Stone Structure at the Hemakuta Hill Top

The Captivating View of the Sunset from the Hemakuta Hill

MATANGA HILL

Matanga hill is one of the important places to visit in Hampi, which will offer the best aerial view of Hampi and its environs. There are many paths that lead to the top of Matanga hill where the Veerabhadra temple is located. There is a stepped ramp at the west and trekking trail on the north. The climbing will take around 30 to 40 minutes. There are around 500 to 600 steps to reach the top. In some places these steps are very tricky and one must be very careful especially while descending. The best place to watch the sunset and sunrise are from the roof of the Veerabhadra temple.

From Matanga hill top one can get the spectacular view of the ruins of Hampi, surrounded by huge boulders from all the three sides and the Tungabhadra River on the other and green patches of paddy and banana fields strewn around. You can identify each and every monument that you have visited in the previous day.

Markings on the rock to guide on the right path

Tungabhadra River and the way leading to the Achutaraya Temple as seen from Matanga Hill

The view of the Virupaksha Temple Complex from the top of Matanga Hill

The aerial view of the Achutaraya Temple Complex from Matanga Hill

The spectacular sunset from the Matanga Hill

UGRA NARASIMHA STATUE & BADAVILINGA TEMPLE

The Ugra Narasimha statue is carved out of a single stone and is 6.7 meters in height. It was made in the year 1528 during the reign of Krishnadevaraya.

Another View of the Ugra Narasimha Statue

Located next to the Ugra Narasimha statue is the monolithic Badavilinga statue. It is housed in a closed chamber with an opening in the front. A close look can reveal three eyes of the Siva.

THE UNDERGROUND TEMPE

The underground temple so called because once it was partly buried but now fully exposed by excavation. The interior is still partially covered under water. The temple was originally consecrated for Virupaksha.

The Entrance Gopura of the Underground Temple

One of the Carved Pillars inside the Temple

View of the coconut trees around the temple

Next to the temple is the area which is still under excavation by the ASI

THE ZENANA ECLOSURE & LOTUS MAHAL

The Zenana enclosure was reserved for the royal women and was protected by walls and watch towers. The main attraction is the Lotus Mahal. The Queen’s palace is also visible but only the basement.

The encircling walls and the watch tower

THE ELEPHANT STABLE

The Elephant Stable is a major attraction of Hampi and one among the few least destroyed structures. The long building with row of 11 chambers was used to park the royal elephants. Metal hoods used to tie the elephants can be seen on the inside roof.

The view of the elephant stable with the parading ground

The structure with arcaded veranda on the north side of the Parade Ground

HAZARA RAMA TEMBLE
This temple was dedicated to Lord Rama and it was once the private temple of the Vijayanagara kings and the royal family. This temple is famous for its panels depicting the story of Ramayana. It was build during the time of Devaraya II.

The Main Façade of the Hazara Rama Temple

The Ramayana Story depicted on the wall panels

Carved pillars in front of the temple complex

The carved water outlet from the Sanctum

The ornamental carvings on the external of the temple

The depiction of the Ramayana on the walls

A view of the external compound wall of the temple

THE QUEEN’S BATH

The Queen’s bath is believed to be built by King Achutaraya for the women of the royal family. This is located just outside the royal enclosure and built in the Indo Islamic style of architecture. This rectangular structure covers an are of 30 square meters.

The arched corridor of the Queen's Bath — The arched corridor of the Queen’s Bath

The intricately carved ceiling of the Queen's Bath — The intricately carved ceiling of the Queen’s Bath

MAHANAVAMI DIBBA

One of the main attractions of Hampi is Mahanavami Dibba or Dasara Dibba, constructed by Krishnadevaraya to commemorate his victory over Udaygiri. This grand platform was used as stage by the kings to watch the celebration of the nine day long splendid Mahanavami festival. This platform has a height of around 12 meters. All the three tiers of the platform is richly decorated with engravings.

The remains of the other structures around the Mahanavami Dibba

The Pushkarani - A stepped tank around the Mahanavami Dibba — The Pushkarani – A stepped tank around the Mahanavami Dibba

The duct through which water was brought to the tank

GANAGITTI JAIN TEMPLE & BHIMA’S GATE
Ganagitti temple is one of the earliest structures constructed during the reign of the Vijayanagar empire. The temple was constructed by Iruguppa Dandanayaka one of the ministers of Vijayanagara during the reign of King Harihara II. It was consecrated in the year 1386.

Stone Inscriptions Inside the Temple Compound

Bhima’s Gatewy is one of the many gateways of the ancient walled city. The gateway is a classic example of Vijayanagara military architecture. The gate got its name from the legendary Bhima of Epic Mahabharata, the strongest of the Pandava brothers. There is an impressive carving of Bhima with Saugandhika flower in his hands.

The Carving of Bhima with Saugandhika Flower in his hand

PATTABHIRAMA TEMPLE

Though bit off from the main tourist trail this temple is notable for its size and completeness superb example of the Viyayanagara style of architecture.

The Entrance Gopura of the Pttabhirama Temple

The Gallery with Columns in front of the main Temple

The pillared gallery inside the Temple Complex

Hampi – The Ruins of Vijayanagara (Part 2)

The Monuments of Hampi (Continued…)

THE VITTALA TEMPLE

The Vittala temple is undoubtedly the most extravagant architectural showpiece of Hampi. Vittala is a form of Lord Vishnu after whom the temple is known. Originally built in the 15th century the temple was extended by many successive rulers to the present form. One can see the remains of a township called Vittalapura that existed around the temple complex. The highlight of Vittala Temple is its impressive pillared halls and the stone chariot. The halls are carved with overwhelming array of sculptures on giant granite pillars. The stone chariot is often considered as the symbol of Hampi.

The Stone Chariot and in the background is the Main Entrance Gopura

One of the Intricately Carved Stone Wheels of the Chariot

One of the Pillared Pavilions inside the Temple Complex

The decorated stepped pathway to the Temple

The Carved Pillars which is supposed to produce music when you tap on them

More Ruins at the on the left side of the main entrance of Vittala Temple

THE INSCRIBED VISHNU TEMPLE

The temple got its name thanks to the numerous rows of inscriptions carved on its outer walls. Though it’s popularly called the Inscribed Vishnu Temple, this temple was originally a dedicated to Tirumangai Alvar, the last of the 12 Alvar saints. The Alvars were poet-saints espoused bhakti (devotion) to the Lord Vishnu, hence this temple’s proximity to the Vittala (a form of Vishnu) Temple. The inscriptions on the wall says this temple was built by Avubilaraju in 1554 CE.

Inscriptions on the outer wall of the Temple

THE KING’S BALANCE

The Kings’ Balance is an ancient scale located south west of the Vittala Temple. This rare balance is also known as Tula Bhara. The balance was used by the Vijayanagara kings on special occasions like Dasara, Coronation ceremony etc. The king used to weigh himself with gold, silver, gems, precious stones and jewellery and give away those things to the priests of the temples in charity.The monument consists of two beautifully carved granite pillars with a height of 15 feet. The pillars support a heavy stone beam of about 12 feet. There are three hoops on the underside of the stone beam. The hoops were used to hang the balance. One of the pillars has the image of the king and two queens carved on stone.

THE VARAHA TEMPLE

The Varaha Temple is located close to the river side north end of the courtesan’s street. The temple is dedicated to Varaha swamy one of the incarnations of Vishnu.

The image of Varaha carved on the Temple

THE ACHUTARAYA TEMPLE

This was one of the last grandiose temple projects executed in the capital, before the fall of the empire. The temple complex and the ruined market street in front of it sit in a semi secluded valley created by two hills – the Gandhamadana & Matanga hills . Partially due to its off location from the main tourist track and the hidden nature of the temple’s location makes it less crowded. The temple dedicated to Lord Tiruvengalanatha, a form of Vishnu.

The Main Entrance Gopura of the Achyutaraya Temple

The pillars at the entrance of the temple

The temple tank - but without any water — The temple tank – but without any water

THE RIVERSIDE RUINS & 1008 LINGAS

The riverside gorge just north of the Kodandarama Temple is remarkable for the various clusters of ruins. The important ones are the array of Shiva Lingas carved on the surface of a flat rock. One is an array of 108 Lingas and the other is of 1008 Lingas. Not very far on a vertical rock there is a carving of Lord Vishnu in a reclining position. The other interesting features include a series of pavilions, partially submerged tiny shrines, sequence of motifs carved on the rock surfaces and spotting of sculptured artifacts lay at random all around.

To reach this location you can hire a coracle from near the Kodandarama temple. You can negotiate the price, normally they charge Rs. 50/- per head and if you are alone they may ask for Rs. 300/- for a trip. Since I was alone they finally agreed for Rs.200/- for a trip. The ride will give you a nice view of the gorge on both sides and they will stop you at the place where the carved Lingas are there. The climb may be little tricky as the rocks are bit slippery and there are no steps available. From there you can see the Chandramauleshwara Temple on the other bank of the river which is under renovation and is off limit to visitors.

An array of 108 Lingas carved on the flat rock surface

An array of 1008 Lingas carved on flat rock surface

Sculpture depicting Lord Vishnu in reclining position

The view of Kodandarama temple from the Coracle

This Ms. Tara from Canada who is enjoying the Coracle ride, who I met at the riverside ruins. — This is Ms. Tara from Canada who is enjoying the Coracle ride, whom I met at the riverside ruins.

And finally these feathery friends who made there nest on this dead coconut tree near my lodge:

I spent 2 days in Hampi, exploring the various monuments. Most of the areas were covered by foot except for the rikshaw which I hired for half a day to visit the Bhima’s Gate, Ganagitti Temple, Pattabhirama Temple and the Archaeological Museum at Kamlapura. It was unfortunate that I could not see the Museum fully due to the absence light owing to a power failure in Kamlapura area that day. Still feel I have not covered all the areas!!! May be next time to spend a week there….

Badami – The Remnants of the Chalukyan Era

Badami is located in the Bagalkot district of Northern Karnataka. It was the capital of the Chalukyas from 540 AD to 757 AD. At its height the empire was enormous, stretching from Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu to the Narmada River in Gujarat. The Badami fort is the most famous attraction in Badami which is spread across two hills dotted with temples, fortifications, carvings and inscriptions dating not from the Chalukyan period, but also from other times when the site was occupied as fortress. In between these two hills lays Agasthya Tirtha Lake, the waters of which are believed to have healing powers. This manmade lake is named after one of the Saptarishis, Agasthya. As per legend Badami has origin in the Vatapi legend of Ramayana relating to Sage Agasthya.

The two demon siblings Vatapi and Ilvala used to kill all mendicants by tricking them in a peculiar way. The elder Ilvala would turn Vatapi into a ram and would offer its meat to the guest. As soon as the person ate the meat, Ilvala would call out the name of Vatapi. As he had a boon that whomsoever Ilvala calls would return from even the netherland, Vatapi would emerge ripping through the body of the person thus killing him. Their trick worked until Sage Agastya countered them by digesting Vatapi before Ilvala could call for him, thus ending the life of Vatapi at the hands of Ilvala. Two of the hills in Badami represent the demon Vatapi and Ilvala.

The Bhuthanatha group of temples are located on the east side of the lake and the Mallkarjuna group of temples are located on the north-east side of the lake.

Another major attraction of Badami is the four cave temples carved out of sandstone along the ravine at the foot of the rugged hill surrounding the lake. These are considered to be the best examples of Chalukyan architecture. These temples are dated to 6th to 7th centuries AD.

Cave no. 1
This cave is just above the entrance to the complex, is dedicated to Shiva. It is the oldest of the four caves, probably carved in the latter half of the 6th century. The cave depicts the Thandava dancing of Shiva as Nataraja.

Cave no. 2
The cave is primarily dedicated to Vishnu and is simpler in design. It depicts Vishnu as Trivikrama. Another depiction of Vishnu as Varaha can also be seen in this cave.

Cave no. 3
This cave was carved in 578 AD under the orders of Mangalesha, the brother of King Kirtivarma contains some carvings of Vishnu to whom the cave is dedicated. It is the largest and most intricately carved temple in the complex.

Cave no. 4
This is the smallest of the four caves and was carved between the 7th and 8th centuries. This cave is situated higher than the other caves. This one is a Jain cave and depicted Mahavira sitting on a lion throne.

Hefty Rock Formations around the Cave Temple Complex

View of Agasthya Tirtha Lake from the Cave Temple Complex

Nataraja the Dancing Siva Depicted on Cave no.1

Vishnu Depicted as Varaha - Cave No.2 — Vishnu Depicted as Varaha – Cave No.2

Vishnu Depicted as Sitting on the Serpent Throne

Tirthankara Parsvanath Depicted in Cave No.4

The Bhuthanatha Group of Temples on the east side of the Agasthy Tirtha Lake

The Mallikarjuna Group of Temples on the North East Side of the Agasthya Tirtha Lake

Carved Walls Around the Agasthy Tirtha Lake

Small Shrine around the Agasthya Tirtha Lake

No it will not fall... It is been there for many centuries — No it will not fall… It is been there for many centuries

This Ant Hill was at the top of the Fort

Nature the biggest artist - A view at the top of the fort — Nature the biggest artist – A view at the top of the fort

A Small Water Body at the top of the Fort

A view of the Badami Village from the top of the Fort

View of the sunset from the Bhuthanatha Temple

Sun setting behind the Agasthya Tirtha Lake

KAPPE ARABHATTA INSCRIPTION
Kappe Arabhatta was a Chalukyan warrior of the 8th century who is known from a Kannada verse inscription of 700 AD, carved on a cliff overlooking the north east end of the Agasthya Tirtha lake. The inscription consists of five stanzas written out in ten lines in the Kannada script.

Getting There & Around
There are enough buses from Hubli to Badami (3hours), Bijapur to Badami (3.5hours) and from Bengaluru (12 hours). Badami’s train station is 5 km from town. For exploring the nearby areas there are Auto rikshaws available.

Bidar Fort – The erstwhile capital of the Bahmani Kingdom

Bidar Fort is situated in Bidar city of the Indian state of Karnataka. Originally built in the 8th century, the old fort of Bidar was captured in 1321-22 AD by Prince Ulugh Khan of the Tughlaq dynasty, who later on became Sultan Muhammad bin Tughluq of Delhi. With the establishment of the Bahmani Sultanate in 1347, Bidar was occupied by Sultan Alauddin Bahman Shah. During the rule of Ahmad Shah I (1422-1486), Bidar was made the capital of Bahmani Kingdom. He rebuilt the old fort and erected beautiful madrasas, mosques and palaces inside it. Long and winding fort walls were constructed out of stone and mortar by Persian and Turkish architects.

Bidar fort was captured by the independent Bijapur Sultanate in 1619-20 but fell to the Mughal viceroy Aurangzeb in 1657, and was formally absorned by the Mughal Empire in 1686. In 1724 Bidar became part of the Asaf Jahi Kingdom of the Nizams. Nawab Mir Said Muhammad Khan, also known as Salabath Jung, who was the third son of Asaf Jah I ruled from Bidar fort from 1751 to 1762, till his brother Mir Nizam Ali Khan also known as Asaf Jah II, imprisoned him and later killed him in the fort on 16th September 1763. The old name of Bidar “Mohammedabad” refers to the rule of Salabath Jung. In 1956 when the state of Hyderabad was partitioned, Bidar fort became part of the newly formed Mysore state, now Karnataka.

The Bidar fort was constructed on the edge of a plateau and has a haphazard rhombus-shaped layout. The present day fortress was rebuilt using red laterite stone around the old fort in 1428 by Ahmed Shah Bahman. The fort is 1.21 km long and 0.80 km in breadth. The fort walls measure 2.5 km on the outside and include within numerous buildings, arches, pavilions, mosques, gateways and gardens. To the north and east, steep cliffs provide natural protection to the moat and the glacis elsewhere, the walls are protected by a unique tripe channeled moat. There were seven gates to the Fort.

There are 37 bastions on the fort walls, with cannon made of bars of metal welded together and held together by metal hoops were mounted on the bastions. The fort has number of monuments within the fortress complex. Prominent among them are the Rangin Mahal, Takht Mahal, the Jami masjid and the Sola Khamba Masjid (Sixteen pillar mosque). Most of these structures are in ruins now.

One of the arched gateways inside the fort

How to reach:
Bidar railway station is well connected with the rest of the country.

Bidar is well connected with the nearby cities by a network of buses by both Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation and private buses. Hyderabad is 147 kms from Bidar.

Vidisha – One of the oldest cities of the Indian subcontinent

Vidisha is located 10km northeast of Sanchi, between Betwa and Bes Rivers. It was one of the oldest cities in the Indian subcontinent and was a major commercial centre in the 5th and 6th centuries BC. Later it was known as Besnagar during the Buddhist emperor Ashoka’s reign and then passed through the hands of the Mughals and then to the Scindias. There are few important monuments located near this town.

Bijamandal
Bijamandal, which is popularly known as Vijayamandira is Temple built during the Paramara period in the eleventh century and is located at the eastern edge of the old town of Vidisha. The temple was destroyed in the year 1682. After its demolition, Aurangzeb, the Mughal emperor, constructed a mosque called Alamgiri Masjid, at the site. The materials of the destroyed temple, was used in the construction of this mosque.

Other materials are scattered all around the site. One of the pillars bears the inscription which suggests that the original temple was dedicated to Goddess Charchika. The same inscription also bears the name of King Naravarman and Goddess Vijaya, after whom the temple is believed to be named.

It appears that the original temple was of considerable dimension approachable by a high flight of steps on its three sides. Not far from the temple site one could see the ancient baoli (stepwell) with carved pillars belonging to the eight century.

The huge platform where the temple was once

Sculptures which are scattered around the area

More sculptures which are scattered around

Udayagiri Caves
Udayagiri is about 4km from the town of Vidisha and about 13km from the Buddhist site of Sanchi. Cut into a sandstone hill, are some 20 Gupta cave shrines dating from the reign of Chandragupta II (382 – 401). Most are Hindu but two are Jain. Some of the caves are closed due to unsafe roofs. Cave no. 5 has an image of Vishnu in his boar incarnation. On the top of the hill are ruins of a 6th century Gupta temple dedicated to the sun god.

Heliodorus Pillar
Not far from the Bijamandal is the Heliodorus Pillar. The Heliodorus pillar is a stone column that was erected around 113 BC in Vidisha by Heliodorus, from Taxila. He was the Greek ambassador of the Indo-Greek King Antialcidas. The pillar was surmounted by a sculpture of Garuda and was apparently dedicated by Heliodorus to the god Vasudeva.

The pillar is worshipped by local fishermen. On full moon nights one is chained to the pillar, he becomes possessed and is able to drive evil spirits from other locals. When someone has been exorcised, they drive a nail into the tamarind tree nearby, fixing to it a lime, a piece of coconut, a red threat and supposedly the spirit. The large tree is bristling with old nails.

Here you can see the lime nailed to the tree

The unfinished Bhojeshwar Temple of Bhojpur

This temple is located in the Bhojpur village in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The temple construction was started in the 11th century, during the reign of Paramara king Bhoja. The construction was abandoned for unknown reasons, with the architectural plans engraved on the surrounding rocks.

It appears that the construction work stopped abruptly due to unknown reasons. Historians speculate that the abandonment may have been triggered by a sudden natural disaster, lack of resources or a war. To the north and east of the temple, there are several quarry sites, where unfinished architectural fragments in various stages of carving were discovered.

The temple lies on a platform which is 35m long, 25m wide and 4m high. A huge limestone lingam is installed on the platform. The total height of the lingam, including the platform is over 12m. The doorway to the sanctum is 10m high. The wall at the entrance features sculptures of apsaras, ganas and other goddesses. The temple walls are made of large sandstone blocks, without windows. The northern, southern and eastern walls of the temple, features three balconies, purely for ornamental purpose. They cannot be approached from either inside or outside of the temple, because they are located high up on the walls, which provided a drainage outlet for the liquid used to bathe the lingam.

In the year 1951, the site was handed over to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) for conservation. Under the supervision of ASI, the restoration of the damaged temple was taken place and the temple has been designated as a Monument of National Importance.

Bhojeshwar Temple – Sculptures on the wall

Bhojeshwar Temple – carved drainage outlet

The huge linga installed on the platform

One of the ornamental balconies of the temple

The Rock Shelters and Paintings of Bhimbetka

The rock shelters of Bhimbetka lies 9 km from Obedullaganj city in the Raisen District of Madya Pradesh and 45 km south of Bhopal at the southern edge of the Vindhya hills. The entire area is covered by thick vegetation, natural flora and fauna. It falls inside the Ratapani Wild Life Sanctuary. These rock shelters bears striking resemblance to similar rock art sites such as Kakadu National Park in Australia, the cave paintings of the Bushmen in Kalahari Desert and the Lascaux cave paintings in France.

These rock shelters exhibits the traces of human life on the Indian subcontinent in the beginning of the Stone Age. At least some of the shelters were inhabited by Homo erectus more than 100,000 years age. Some of the Stone Age rock paintings found among the Bhimbetka rock shelters are approximately 30,000 years old. The caves also deliver early evidence of dance. These shelters were declared as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003. The name Bhimbetka is associated with Bhima, a hero of the epic Mahabharata. The word Bhimbetka is said to derive from Bhimbaithaka, meaning “Sitting Place of Bhima”.

The rock shelters and caves of Bhimbetka have a large number of paintings. The oldest painings are considered to be 30,000 years old but some of the geometric figures date to as recent as the medieval period. The colors used are vegetable colors which have endured through time because the drawings were generally made deep inside a niche or on inner walls. The drawings and paintings can be classified under seven different periods.

Period I – (Upper Paleolithic): These are linear representations, in green and dark red, of huge figures of animals such as bison, tigers and rhinoceroses.

Period II – (Mesolithic): Comparatively small in size, the stylized figures in this group saw linear decorations on the body. In addition to animals there are human figures and hunting scenes, giving a clear picture of the weapons they used, like barbed spears, pointed sticks, bows and arrows. The depiction of communal dances, birds, musical instruments, mothers and children, pregnant women, men carrying dead animals, drinking and burials appear in rhythmic movement.

Period III – (Chalcolithic): Similar to the paintings of the Chalcolithic, these drawings reveal that during this period the cave dwellers of this area were in contact with the agricultural communities of the Malwa plains, exchanging goods with them.

Period IV & V – (Early historic): The figures of this group have schematic and decorative style and are painted mainly in red, white and yellow. The association is of riders, depiction of religious symbols, tunic like dresses and the existence of scripts of different periods. The religious beliefs are represented by figures of yakshas (a broad class of nature spirits), tree gods and magical sky chariots.

Period VI & VII – (Medieval): These paintings are geometric linear and more schematic, but they show degeneration and crudeness in their artistic style. The colors used by the cave dwellers were prepared by combining manganese, hematite and wooden coal.

One rock, popularly referred to as “Zoo Rock”, depicts elephants, sambar, bison and deer. Paintings on another rock show a peacock, a snake, a deer and the sun. On another rock two elephants with tusks are painted. Hunting scenes with hunters carrying bows, arrows, swords and shields also find their place in the community of these pre-historic paintings. In one of the caves, a bison is shown in pursuit of a hunter while his two companions appear to stand helplessly nearby; in another some horsemen are seen along with archers.

In one painting, a large wild boar is seen. It is not known whether such large boars existed that time or humans drew it with enlarged scale.

Sanchi Buddhist Complex – A legacy of the Maurya era

Sanchi Buddhist complex, famous for its great stupa at Sanchi, is located in the Indian State of Madhya Pradesh. Commissioned by emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE, the Great Stupa of Sanchi is one of the oldest stone structures in India. The stupa was built over the relics of Buddha. The original construction work of this stupa was overseen by Ashoka, whose wife Devi was the daughter of a merchant of nearby Vidisha. Sanchi was also her birthplace as well as the venue of her marriage with Ashoka. In the first century BCE, four elaborately carved toranas (gateways) and balustrade encircling the entire structure were added.

The stupa may have been vandalized in the 2nd century BCE during the rise of the Shunga emperor Pushyamitra Shunga, who overtook the Maurya Empire and was believed to be rebuilt by his son Agnimitra. The original brick stupa was covered with stone during the Shunga period. During the later Shunga period the stupa was expanded with stone slabs to almost twice its original size. The dome was set on a high circular drum meant for circumambulation, which could be accessed via a double staircase. A second stone pathway at ground level was enclosed by a stone balustrade with four monumental gateways facing the cardinal directions. Other structures which were commissioned during the Shunga period are the second and third stupas.

In the first century BCE, during the Satavahana period the gateways were constructed. Further Buddhist structures were added over the centuries until the 12th century AD. Temple 17 is attached to the Gupta period (5th century CE). This structure consists of a flat roofed square sanctum with a portico and four pillars.

Temple 45 was the last Buddhist temple built during the 9th century. With the decline of Buddhism in India the monuments of Sanchi went out of use and fell into a state of despair. Between 1912 and 1919 the structures were restored to their preset condition under the supervision of Sir Johns Marshall.

The great stupa with the northern gateway

Details – the dvarapala from the gateway

The balustrade of the great stupa and the eastern gateway

The Ashokan pillar, which was reduced to pieces by a local zamindar

View of the surrounding fields from the top

Today around fifty monuments remain on the hill of Sanchi. These monuments have been listed among UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1989.

Jai Vilas Palace Museum – The grandeur of the Scindias of Gwalior

Jai Vilas Palace, also known as Jai Vilas Mahal is located in the city of Gwalior in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The palace was established by Jayajirao Scindia, the Maharaja of Gwalior in 1874 and is still the residence of his descendants, the former royal Maratha Scindia dynasty. A part of this palace was converted into a museum in 1964 which occupies 35 rooms of the palace.

It is a fine example of European architecture, designed and built by Sir Michael Filose. A combination of architectural styles, the first storey is Tuscan, the second Italian-Doric and the third Corinthian. The area of the Jai Vilas Palace is 12,40,771 square feet and it is particularly famous for its large Durbar Hall. The interior of the Durbar Hall is decorated with gilt and gold furnishings and adorned with a huge carpet and gigantic chandeliers. It is 100 feet long, 50 feet wide and 41 feet in height.

Supposedly, eight elephants were suspended from the Durbar Hall ceiling to check it could cope with two 12.5 m high 3.5 ton chandeliers with 250 light bulbs, said to be the largest pair in the world.

A visit to the palace makes you explore the royal times of the Maratha Scindia dynasty and will help you to flip back the pages of luxurious lifestyle of the kings and queens of those times. Items like cut-glass furniture, stuffed tigers etc. are exhibited in the museum.

One of the fountains inside the forecourt of the palace

One of the stuffed tigers exhibited in the museum

Dining area for the visiting dignitaries

The durbar hall with the huge chandeliers

One of the chandeliers in the durbar hall

This area is dedicated for exhibiting the life and times of Madhavrao Scindia the son of the last ruling maharaja and leading politician and congress minister who died in a plane crash on 30 Sep 2001

Burhanpur – The Erstwhile Capital of the Faruqi Dynasty

Burhanpur is situated on the northern bank of Tapti River in Madhya Pradesh. It is located 340 kms southwest of Bhopal and 540 km northeast of Mumbai.

It was an important city under the Rashtrakuta Dynasty during 753-982AD. In 1388AD, Malik Nasir Khan, the Faruqi Sultan of Khandesh discovered Burhanpur at the behest of Shaikh Zainuddin and renamed it after a well-known medieval Sufi saint, Burhan-ud-Din which later became the capital of Khandesh Sultanate. In 1601AD Akbar annexed the Khandesh Sultanate and Burhanpur became the capital of Khandesh Subah of the Mughal Empire.

It is a beautiful city with a lot of historical monuments existing in its expanse, primarily from the times of Sha Jahan the great Mughal emperor. Shah Jahan spent a considerable time in this city and helped to add to the Shahi Qila, the majestic palace situated on the banks of Tapti River. The main attraction of the palace is the royal bath which was made specifically for the use of Begum Mumtaz Mahal. Also it is said that Sha Jahan was originally planned to build the Taj Mahal here as it was the home town of Mumtaz Mahal who lived and died in Burhanpur.

Burhanpur was taken by the Peshwas and in 1761AD the Maratha army marched for the Third Battle of Pnipat from this city. After the fall of the Marathas the city came under the British control.

One of the remaining gates of the old city

View of Tapti River from top of the Shahi Qila — View of Tapti River and the ghats from top of the Shahi Qila

The Royal Bath or Hamam — The Royal Bath

The Jama Masjid is one of the most important tourist attraction of Burhanpur. The construction of the Masjid was started by Farooqui rulers and was completed during the time of Akbar.

Inscriptions Inside the Jama Masjid in Sanscrit and Arabic

Another attraction is Ahu Khana or the Deer House an enclosed garden with tanks and pleasure houses constructed during the reign of Shah Jahan. The buildings include a fine Baradari, now roofless where Mumtaz Begum has been buried.

Another tourist attraction is Dargah-e-Hakimi the tomb complex includes mosques gardens etc. The Dawoodi Bhora saint Saiyed Abdul Qadir Hakimuddin is buried here. This is a major pilgrimage center for the Dawoodi Bhora community all over the world.

The Pleasure Palace at Mahal Gulara is another tourist attraction which is few kilometers away from the city. Probably built by Prince Khurram, later on Sha Jahan for a lady named Gulara.

Another attraction is Raja Jai Singh’s Chhatri built at the confluence of Mohana and Tapti Rivers. Popularly called as Raja Ki Chhatri, this 32 pillar structure is an example of Rajastani and Mughal architecture.

A village scene on the banks of Tapti River

Tapti River as seen near the Raja Ki Chhatri

The tomb of Begum Shah Shuja, Bilqis Begum is a must visit in Burhanpur. Bilqis Begum was the wife of Shah Shuja the second son of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal. Of all the Mughal monuments built in Burhanpur this tomb is unique in terms of its construction style. It stands on a raised fluted circular plinth. The Maqbara is built to resemble a melon with intricate carvings.

Interior of the tomb of Begum Shah Shuja

Not far from the city is the Tomb of Shah Nawaz Khan often called as Black Taj by the locals.

Not far from the city are the tombs of the royal family and their relatives. A well preserved complex with compound walls.

One of the tombs in the complex which is in ruins

Stay & Sightseeing
There are plenty of accommodation options available in Burhanpur. However Hotel Ambar near bus stand managed by a Parsi couple is a good option. They have a restaurant which serves, very nice food.

You can hire an auto rikshaw to go around different monuments. There are guides available to show you around the monuments. I highly recommend Mr. Yaqub Boringwala (mobile no. 09826453574) who is very co-operative and have very good knowledge of the area.

Gallery – Asirgarh Fort

Asirgarh Fort is situated in the Satpura Range at a distance of 20 kms north of the city of Burhanpur in Madhya Pradesh. The fort was built by Asa Ahir of the Ahir Dynasty. Mughal emperor Akbar conquered this for in 1601AD. Later it came under the control of the British.

The architecture of the fort was influenced by the Mughals – an amalgamation of Islamic, Persian, Turkish and Indian styles. There are three man made ponds inside the fort to provide water supply. There is a temple known as Gupteshwar Mahadev Mandir didicated to Lord Shiva. The local legend is that Ashwatthama of Epic Mahabharata used to come to this temple to worship and offer flowers to Lord Shiva. There is a ruined mosque with minarets inside the fort known as Asir Masjid. There are some British graves also in the fort. The fort has been deserted following the departure of the British.

Jhansi Fort – A symbol of the Indian Mutiny of 1857

Jhansi Fort is situated on Bangira hilltop in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It was constructed in 1613 by Bir Sing Deo the king of Orchha. In 1728 Mohammed Khan Bangash the Mughal General attacked Maharaja Chattrasal. Peshwa Bajirao helped Maharaja Chattrasal to defeat the Mughal army. As a mark of gratitude, the Maharaja offered part of his state including Jhansi to Peshwa Bajirao. In 1742 the Peshwa appointed Naroshanker as the subedar of Jhansi. During his tenure of 15 years he extended the fort and built many buildings inside the fort. From 1766 to 1769 Vishwas Rao Laxman served as the subedar of Jhansi. Then Raghunath Rao (II) Newalkar was appointed the subedar of Jhansi. He was a very able administrator and built the Mahalakshmi temple and Ragunath temple.

During the time of Raja Gangadhar Rao, a generous and sympathetic administrator the local population of Jhansi was well satisfied. In 1842 Raja Gangadhar Rao married Manikarknika Tambe who was given the new name of Laxmi Bai. She gave birth to a boy named Damodar Rao, in 1851, who died after four months. The Maharaja adopted a child called Anand Rao, the son of Gangadhar Rao’s cousin who was renamed Damodar Rao on the day before the Maharaja died. The adoption was in the presence of the British political officer who was given letter from the Maharaja instructing that the child be treated with respect and that the government of Jhansi should be given to his widow for her lifetime. After the death of Maharaja in November 1853, because Damodar Rao (born Anand Rao) was adopted, the British East India Company, under Governor-General Lord Dalhousie, applied the Doctrine of Lapse, rejecting Damodar Rao’s claim to the throne and annexing the state to its territories. In March 1854, Laxmi Bai was given an annual pension of Rs. 60,000/- and ordered to leave the palace and the fort. In 1857, the revolt broke out and she took the control of the fort and led Jhansi forces against those of the British East India Company.

Jhansi was besieged by the company forces of General Hugh Rose in March and April 1858 and was captured on 4th April 1858. Rani Laxmi Bai was able to make a daring escape on horseback from the fort and the city before the city was pillaged by Rose’s troops.

The fort of Jhansi spreads over 15 acres and the colossal structure measures about 312m in length and 225m in width. There are twenty two supports with a mammoth wall surrounded by a moat on both sides. The granite walls of the fort are between 16 and 20 feet thick and on the south side meet the city walls. There are 10 gates giving access to the fort. The Kadak Bijli cannon used in the uprising of 1857 can be seen inside the fort.

‘Kadak Bijli’ cannon used in the uprising of 1857

Jhansi Fort – the baradari inside the fort

Jai Vilas Palace Museum – The grandeur of the Scindias of Gwalior

Supposedly, eight elephants were suspended from the Durbar Hall ceiling to check it could cope with two 12.5 m high 3.5 ton chandeliers with 250 light bulbs, said to be the largest pair in the world.

The main entrance of the palace

One of the fountains inside the forecourt of the palace

Entrance to the museum

Some of the exhibits

One of the exhibits from the museum

Some of the exhibits

Various musical instruments

Some of the exhibits

Skull of a wild buffalo

One of the stuffed tigers exhibited in the museum

One of the chandeliers

Some of the exhibits

The traditional dining area

Dining area for the visiting dignitaries

Inside the palace

Beautifully adorned staircase

The durbar hall with the huge chandeliers

One of the chandeliers in the durbar hall

Durbar hall

One of the exhibits

This area is dedicated for exhibiting the life and times of Madhavrao Scindia the son of the last ruling maharaja and leading politician and congress minister who died in a plane crash on 30 Sep 2001

Gallery – Asirgarh Fort

Nagaur Fort – The Fort of the Hooded Cobra

Nagaur lies between Bikaner and Jodhpur. Jodhpur to Nagaur is 140 km and Bikaner to Nagaur is 114 km.

Nagaur Fort – first entrance

Nagaur Fort – Interior

Nagaur For

Nagaur Fort

Nagaur Fort – Door

Nagaur Fort – Interior

Hadi Rani Mahal – Frescos

Nagaur Fort – Interior

Nagaur Fort – One of the tanks

Nagaur Fort – Interior

Nagaur Fort – Frescos

Nagaur Fort

Rani Mahal of Jhansi – The erstwhile residence of Rani Laxmi Bai

The Rani Mahal or Queen’s Palace is a royal palace in the city of Jhansi in the Uttar Pradesh state of India. It was built by Raghunath II, who belonged to the Newalkar family of Peshwas, the rulers of Jhansi from 1769 to 1796. After the death of Raja Gangadhar Rao, his wife Rani Laxmi Bai resided in this palace. The palace rose to significance during the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857, as it was the main center of activity and was attacked by the British.

It is flat roofed, two-storeyed building having quadrangular courtyard with a small well and one fountain. The darbar hall inside the palace is beautifully decorated with paintings in bright colours exhibiting various floral and faunal motifs.

The Rani Mahal is converted to a museum and houses a vast collection of stone sculptures collected from the surrounding areas dating from the Gupta to Medieval periods.