Maha Bodhi Temple

Particularly attached to the attainment of Enlightenment, The Maha bodhi Temple is one of the four holy sites related to the life of the Lord Buddha. Dating back to 5-6th century BC, it is one of the earliest Buddhist temples built entirely in brick, still standing in India. Though many changes have occurred, it has still maintained the charm and accent of the time of Huen Tsang. According to the Jataka tale, when Buddha first came here, the Pipala, or Indian fig (Bodhi) was a massive tree. It is said that Lord Buddha attained his enlightenment under this tree. After he left, he never looked back, and never visited again. But he did recommend it as one of the four memorable places worth visiting for inspiration. Buddhists believe this as the navel of the universe, the Vajra-seat, where past and future Buddhas achieve the ultimate state. Ria Johnson, a traveller from Canada, said “ I was truly enticed by the Mahabodi temple. It holded a star value on my buddhist pilgrimage tour.” One of the earliest temple constructions existing in the Indian sub-continent, the grand 50m high temple is one of the few representations of the architectural genius of the Indian people in constructing fully developed brick temples in that era.

The year 2006-2007 is being celebrated as the 2550th Mahaparinibbana of Lord Buddha. The Mahabodhi Mahavihara, Bodhgaya Temple Management Committee jointly with the Government of Bihar is organizing a 3-day Buddha Mahotsava (Festival) with fervour at the Kalachakra Grounds in Buddhagaya on the 27th, 28th and 29th December, 2006 .

One of the few surviving examples of early brick structures in India, the temple provides exceptional records for the events associated with the life of Buddha and had significant influence in the development of architecture over the centuries. It is believed that Emperor Asoka had built the first temple, the balustrades, and the memorial column. The present Temple is one of the earliest and most imposing structures built entirely in brick from the late Gupta period. The sculpted stone balustrades are an outstanding early example of sculptural reliefs in stone. Buddha image housed inside the Mahabodhi temple is particularly important in the context of Bodh Gaya sculptures. Its height of more than 2-m has made it the largest surviving seated Buddha image from Bodh Gaya. Its great size may indicate that it once served as the central image of the Mahabodhi Temple. The hub of the entire spectrum of activities that take place here, the temple is the most important place in Bodh Gaya ( Bodh Gaya). Being the place where He attained the supreme and perfect insight, the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya has direct association with the life of the Lord Buddha, and thus is cosidered among the most pristine pilgrimages in Buddhism. Lord Buddha himself had put this place in his high esteem and recommended his followers to visit the place for gaining knowledge. Being registered by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, better conservation, restoration and upgradation of the images and statues are expected. “ The story by far was to know more about the site, but after glimpsing its architectural value I was completely baffled for the simple reason that I loved the place.” added Ria. A visit to Mahabodi tree: You just cannot miss to visit Mahabodi tree. This is the tree where Lord Buddha have attained enlightment. If you want to explore good heritage, Mahabodi temple is the one for you. You would surely love to explore it. “ Mahabodi Temple is peculiar and I loved every moment I spent there. I snapped many images of Mahabodi tree, they were truly awesome” ended Ria Getting There By Air : You would find the nearest airport in Gaya, which is about 5 kms from Bodhgaya. The city is well connected by Delhi, Ranchi, Lucknow, Calcutta, Chennai, Mumbai. By Road : Delhi- Kolkata is the major highway and is well connected. Mahabodi form the major bus station. There are private buses and taxis which connects each destination. By Rail : Gaya forms the nearest railway station with several trains linked up. Many thanks to Ria Johnson ( Canada) , who shared his experience with 

Puri Rath Yatra

A mammoth Chariot pulling by countless people in midst of numerous Hindu devotees, a picture that can be remain frozen in the memory, is all about one of the biggest Hindu festival is being celebrated all over India. The Rath Yatra(Chariot Journey) is being spectacular and a mirthful event in Orissa where it is celebrated in the temple town of Puri with much gaudery and glory. Thousands of devotees participate in the processions of chariot, which travel lord Jagannath, lord Balaram and goddess Subhadra to the nearby Gundicha temple, believed to be the birthplace of lord Jagannath. The deities return back to Sri Mandira after a stay of seven days. The procession of coming back is known as Ulta Rath Yatra (Reverse Chariot Journey). The festival is celebrated in the end of June and beginning of July. The Puri Rath Yatra is a holy festival and just a glimpse of deities sitting in the chariot midst of maddening crowd is regarded lucky. Pulling rope or mere touch of rope is being considered auspicious. The three magnificent chariots waiting outside the Sri Mandira temple, a rhythmic prayer chants mutter as the deities are brought to the chariots. The walloping chariots beautifully decorated are also a big attractions for tourists. The three chariots carry different deities also differ in size and wheel. Nandighosh- Lord Jagannath’s chariot is about 45 feet in height with 16 massive wheels and a gold dome on top. Other two chariots are much smaller and less grandiose. Decorated with tinsel and ancient accessories, each of chariots has a large platform covered with huge flower umbrellas. Four wooden horses and charioteers stand mounted. During the festive days, all the daily activities in the town comes to stand still. The temple kitchen, the largest in the world, serves whooping 75 quintals of rice everyday and a variety of dishes are served to the gods and later served to the devotees, this is known as Mahaprasad, holds great significance in Puri. Rath yatra is a festival , which beckons overland travelers across the world. The enthusiasm and ambiance is magical and must be once experienced. It is one of the few festivals, which is so huge and enthralling. Invaluable Suggestions Puri Rath Yatra festival is very popular and people comes from far places to witness the event. Therefore, you have to book your tour early. Finding hotel accommodation is also a big problem. It is advisable to contact a good travel agent for leaving your headache to them. Beware of touts and fake travel agents. Orissa is famous tourist place and you will find many of them. Puri Rath Yatra is a holy journey. So, maintain the discipline and pace with the crowd. Take care of your belongings. In a million sum crowd, ample scope to lost your valuable asset such as camera and other stuffs. Alcohol is strictly prohibited in the place. Taste the royal Mahaprasad with much devotion. Puri restaurants is famous for delicious cuisines. Puri is not only for temples but also for golden beaches. Pack your swimsuits with you. By Air : Nearest airport is Bhubaneswar that is 56 km away from Puri. Almost all the major domestic airlines are connected to the airport. By Train : Puri railway station is a major station almost connected with all the major cities of India. there are local transport system available to take you to the temple. By Road : A complete road network of roads leads to Puri and other popular destinations like Bhubaneswar, Konark. You can take luxury buses from Kolkata or nearby states. 

Meenakshi Temple

Undoubtedly one of the finest masterpiece of Indian architecture, is Meenakshi temple in Madurai also considered as the most beautiful of all temples. The Meenakshi temple epitomizes the culture and civilization of south India; is also the largest temple complex in India, which greets about 10,000 visitors everyday. The Madurai city revolves around the temple, the core is much older than the city itself. The splendor captures the global eyeball for many centuries. The temple is perfectly fitted with the city as the Madurai itself personifies the cultural ethos of India. the temple is dedicated to lord Shiva and Meenakshi, an terrestrial incarnation of his wife Parvati. The temple is huge, spread over an area of 6 hectares. The tall gateways known as gopuram is of height of 45 to 50 m welcomes devotees and visitors. The southern gateway is gigantic, which is nine storied high and images of god and goddess carved on the pillars. The gods and goddess are painted in unique bright colors, it perhaps show the ancient Dravidian culture to use bright and brilliant shades to decorated their homes and temples. This is evident in Meenakshi temple. The carved images of god and goddess and various mythological figures tells legendary tales .The most amazing part of the temple is the southern gateway, which holds whooping 1500 sculptures! The Meenakshi temple festival is also very famous among tourists and devotees. The celebration is all about the marriage between Meenakshi and lord Sundareshwar (Shiva). Spectacular marriage is 12 days long event, celebrated every year in the month of April – May. The temple preaches a huge deity of dancing Shiva,popularly known as Nataraja. Another jewel of the temple is the thousand pillar mandapam. It is an incredible Dravidian craft with 985 beautiful column with beautifully carved images on it. The temple is unique as it has dual shrines for the god and goddess.. Mariamman Teppakulam Tank This is a huge 1000 feet deep tank situated 5 km east of Meenakshi temple. Every year float festival is being taken place when deities are rided on a ornamented boat. This tank never dries up. Thirumalai Nayak Mahal Palace It is situated 2 km southeast of the Meenakshi temple famed for its architecture and stucco work on its domes and arches. A museum that holds beautiful sculptures of different god and goddess is in the palace. Gandhi Museum The blood stained dhoti of Mahatma Gandhi when he was assasinated is preserved in this museum. Apart from there are different relics of Gandhi display here. Koodal Alagar Temple This is the temple where lord Vishnu poses in a three different way. The temple has a special significant for Hindus. Excursions From Meenakshi Temple Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary(Thekkadi)(155kms) This is one of the most beautiful sanctuaries in India slopping down to a man made lake. From elephant, gaur, sambhar to tiger, every wild beast is visible here. Kodaikkanal (120 kms.) Famous hill station topped at 2130 m above sea level in the western ghats. You will see some magnificent waterfalls and picturesque lake in this heavenly hill station. Viraganur Dam An ideal picnic spot with a picturesque garden lies 8 km from Madurai. Invaluable Suggestions Meenakshi temple is an ancient sacred Hindu temple. So it is advisable to maintain the decorum. Dress properly and pay due respect to every god and goddess. For woman traveler who travel alone shouldn’t advertise yourself in public. You are not allowed to enter the temple premises while sporting shoes or sleepers. Take care of your belongings while traveling. Photography inside the Sanctum sanctorum is strictly no no. Keep your money and travel documents with your hotel manager or tour agent. By Air : Madurai is well connected with Mumbai and Chennai. Airport is 10 km away from the city. By Train : Railway connection is from Bangalore, Coimbatore, Kollkam, Chennai, Thanjavur, Tiruchirapalli, Tirunelveli and Tirupathi. By Road : From all part of south India, you can easily reach Madurai. Roads are well connected. You will get buses, taxis to reach madurai and from madurai, rickshaws and taxis are readily available

Jama Masjid

Jama Masjid literally means ‘Friday Mosque’. A largest mosque in India and a final architecture extravaganza of Shah Jahan, signifies its name by holding Juna prayer service on Friday afternoons. The Jama Masjid is located in the central of old Delhi, built in yellow sandstone and involved around 5000 workers, Jama Masjid took 20 years to complete. The Jama Masjid has three great gateways, four angle towers and two minarets standing 40 meters high, which are constructed of vertical strips of red sandstone and white marbles. There are steep steps that lead to the imposing gateway. The opulent Masjid is placed on a high platform and its beautiful facade clearly visible from all around. The podium carved out exquisitely out of a single block of marble, surely the best lineament of the structure. In the north east of Masjid a small pavilion preserve the relics of prophet, attract pilgrims from all over India and abroad. The courtyard of mosque can hold 25,000 people. From the top of the minaret one will have a direct view of Connaught Place ,Sansad Bhavan and whole of old Delhi. The domes, courtyard and minarets of the Jama Masjid lend it a distinct sense of grandeur. You must not miss the nearby Red Fort , which is a world heritage structure. It is one of the fine relics of Mughal dynasty. If you really want to feel the old Delhi ambiance, visit the Chandni Chowk. The markets, the crowd and road side joints are excellent. To satisfy your taste buds visit Karim for their famous kababs, Ghantewala sweet shop near Jama Masjid and paranthewali gali, which serves you some delicious mouth watering junkies. You can also stroll to chor bazaar for some cheap electronic goods and of you are a book freak Nai Sarak is must see for you. Invaluable Suggestions Jama Masjid is open to all except prayer time. You should cover your knees as well as your arms before entering to masjid. Removal of shoes is also mandatory. You have to pay a charge for photography. Maintain a clean attire while visiting the mosque. Visiting hours is from dawn to dusk but close during prayer time. You must beware of fake guides who try to fool visitors into paying an entry fee(mosque admission is free). You can reach Masjid via important landmark such as ISBT, Connaught Place and ITO. By Air :Delhi has one national and a international airport. Both are well connected with the major cities of India and abroad respectively. By Rail : New Delhi railway station is well connected with most of the cities of India. By Road : You can also take buses from nearby states like Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh etc.

Jagannath Temple, Puri

Jagananth Puri is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage site on the sea coast of Ganga Sagar in Orissa. Puri is an ancient place with dual personality, it comprise of chain of some of the beautiful temples and also house tempting golden beaches. Old city of Puri is identify by flowering temple shrines dedicated to Lord Jagannath another name of Lord Krishna. It is a center of the devotees of the Shaiva, Vaishava, and sections of Buddhist. The temple is located on a gentle slope known as Nik Parvata by the sea. According to different legends King Anantaverma Chodaganda (1078 to 1148 AD) who was a great patron of religion and Sanskrit built the temple. The sacred shrine of Jagannath is secured in a square 652 feet long and 630 feet wide and saved by a stonewall 20 feet high. The tower of Jagannath is 192 feet high and surmounted by the mystic wheel and flag of Vishnu. The whole of temple is being partitioned into different chambers, each chambers has their own characteristics. The first chamber is where oblation are performed known as Bhoga Mandir. Second one is Nata Mandir, which is embellished by pillars, the hall is exclusive for music and dancing; third one is a large hall where pilgrims assembles; and last chamber is the sanctuary or the holy cell. The temple is unique in its own way as it has almost 6000 people for it servicing Mahaprasad ( spiritual food made up of pure vegetarian). It is said that by having Mahaprasad one makes great spiritual progression. Over 20000 people are said to be dependent for the livelihood on the temple activities. Gundicha Mandir - This is also a beautiful temple located just 3 km away from Jagannath Puri temple. At the time of Rath Yatra festival, Lord Jagannath goes to this temple and stays there for one week and again return back to his original temple. Chilka Lake – It is largest fresh water lake in Asia situated southwest of Puri. In the shimmering clear turquoise water ideal for boating and angling. Ramgarh Lake - It is an ideal picnic spot in the midst of ruin fort and the temple of Jamwa Mata. The Beach - The chain of golden sand beaches are the best thing in Puri. It is one of the famous beaches in India. always packed up through the years, it houses some of the fine guest houses and hotels. Orissa is shopper’s paradise. so, don’t forget to take some souvenir from Puri. Great place to but items like paintings, silk, festival umbrella, gold filigree work, silver jewelery and many more. Visit the nearby villages. These are the places where you can buy traditional art and craft in amazingly cheap price. Puri is a home of some good restaurants and hotels offer Chinese, Continental and Indian cuisines. Do not forget to visit Ananda Bazaar, which is the biggest food market of the world. Invaluable Suggestions Don’t forget to pack your swimming costumes as some lusty beaches are awaiting for you. Beware of touts. Puri sea is notorious for its current. So, beware of sweeping current. Only Hindus who are of Hindu origin are allowed to enter the sacred shrine. Photography inside the temple is prohibited. By Air : Nearest airport is Bhubaneswar that is 56 km away from Puri. Almost all the major domestic airlines are connected to the airport. By Train : Puri railway station is a major station almost connected with all the major cities of India. there are local transport system available to take you to the temple. By Road : A complete road network of roads leads to Puri and other popular destinations like Bhubaneswar, Konark. You can take luxury buses from Kolkata or nearby states.