Ellora Caves, Aurangabad

Situated 30 kms from Aurangabad, Ellora caves - a UNESCO World Heritage Sight -  has a total of 34 caves and are carved into the sides of a basaltic hill. The cave complex houses Hindu, Buddhist and Jain temples and are the finest examples from the Chalukya, Kalachuri and Rashtrakuta periods.

17 Hindu Caves (13-29)

The Kailasha temple known as Cave 16, carved from a basaltic rock in a structure which symbolises Mount Kailash is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The entrance features a low Gopura.

The Kailas temple is also  the biggest monolithic rock-cut structure in the world. When you enter  the temple premises, you can see the sculpture of Shiva's mount Nandi (the sacred bull).  The temple premises consists of two structures, one is the Shiva temple and the second is the Nandi Mandapa. A rock bridge connects the Nandi Mandapa to the porch of the temple.

The stories related to Ramayana, Mahabharat, Lord Vishnu and Lord Siva are carved beautifully on the walls. The images of Goddesses and Gods sculpted on the walls are representations of the female and male principles.

Stone Sculptures From Ellora caves

Here each and every carving is unique. Watch the sculpture of Parvati and Lord Siva with Parvati holding the hand of the Lord while he has placed his left hand on her shoulder during their wedding. The sculptures with their sensuous poses and pouting expressions are a way of giving importance to the wellbeing and love of life.

Stone Sculptures From Ellora caves
Terrace outside the main shrine with sculpture of Flying DemiGod (first from 2nd row)

The basement level of the temple houses artwork of Shaivism, Vaishnavism and Shaktism.

Stone Sculptures From Ellora caves

Cave 29

The carvings in Cave 29 are large .

Cave 29, also called Dhumar Lena is integrated with natural waterfall called "Vale Ganga". You can watch these waterfalls from the southern balcony of the rock cliff.

A natural pond is formed near the cave area.

View from Cave 29, Ellora

5 Jain Caves (30-34).

Jain monuments are far from Ellora caves entrance. Visitors can reach these caves by bus or private vehicles.

Cave 30 shows a dancing Indra. The  panels at the entrance also feature other deities, musicians and dancers.

Cave 33 is a two storeyed cave with twelve massive pillars and elephant heads projecting towards the porch, all carved out on a single  rock. This cave is also known as Jagannatha Sabha.  Cave 32 also known as Indra Sabha is a two storeyed cave complex.

Stone Sculptures From Ellora caves

12 Buddhist caves (1-12)

The Buddhist caves are located  on the southern side of the Ellora cave collection. Cave 1-9 are monasteries or viharas. The rock cut caves consists of viharas (praying halls), living quarters, kitchens etc.

Caves 11 and 12 are three-storied Mahayana monastery caves with idols, mandalas carved into the walls, and numerous goddesses and Bodhisattva-related artwork belonging to the Vajrayana Buddhism.

Cave 10 is called the Visvakarma Cave, a major Buddhist prayer hall. It houses a Buddha statue and  a prayer house. Multi storey entry is possible into this cave.

Cave 5 is unique because it is designed as a hall with two parallel refectory benches in the center with a Buddha statue in the rear.

This is a lifetime experience to stand amongst such incredible ruins. If you are a fan of history and love to travel, then Ellora Caves must be in your list.

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Bibi Ka Maqbara, Aurangabad

Bibi Ka Maqbara is the burial place of Aurangzeb's wife, Rabia-ul-Daurani and was built by their son Azam Shah. It is also known as Mini Taj or Poor Man’s Taj.

Having heard so much about it, I was curious to see if the monument was really similar to the Taj Mahal or not. After taking visiting pass and crossing the main gate, you are lead to the Main entrance.

The carvings made of marble on the roof of the main entrance is marvellous. As I entered, I was surprised to see the symmetrical patterns on the ceiling of the main entrance.

Ceiling of the main entrance

An inscription found on the main entrance door mentions that this mausoleum was designed and erected by Ata-ullah, an architect and Hanspat Rai, an engineer respectively. The main entrance door has foliage designs on brass plate on wood covering from the exterior.

Once you cross the entry gate, you can see the main structure. At the first glance you are reminded of the Taj Mahal. Due to its resemblance to the Taj Mahal, the Bibi ka Maqbara is also known as "Taj of the Deccan". After passing through the entrance, you can see a small tank.

I walked through one of the passages inside to approach the octagonal enclosure where the tomb of Rabia-ul-Daurani lies. The mortal remains of Rabia-ul-Daurani are placed below the ground level surrounded by an octagonal jali pierced marble screen with exquisite designs, which can be approached by a descending flight of steps.

Sanctum with the tomb of Dilras Banu Begum

The mausoleum is built on a high platform. The lower body and the dome of the building are made up of marble where as the middle portion is of basaltic trap, covered with fine plaster, which gives a marble-like finish. Because of the use of such alternatives of marble, it is also referred to as the ‘Poor Man’s Taj’. The marble for this mausoleum was brought from mines near Jaipur.  A mosque  to the west of the main structure is  a later addition by the Nizam of Hyderabad .

A closure look at the tomb

Then I walked through the surrounding lawns. The Mughal garden with the mountain ranges in the background is a sight to behold.

The garden is enclosed by high crenelated walls with fortress set at intervals and open pavilions on three sides.

Am sure that Bibi Ka Maqbara is worth visiting if you are in Aurangabad.

Location: 5 kms from Aurangabad via Nagpur-Aurangabad-Mumbai Highway and Maqbara Road and 6 kms from Station Road.

Getting there:
By Train: Aurangabad is the nearest railway station, which is approximately 12 kms from Bibi-ka-Maqbara.
By Road: If you are in Aurangabad, the best option is take an auto rickshaw to visit Bibi-ka-Maqbara. You can also avail the city buses or hire a private car.
By Flight: The airport at Aurangabad is well connected with all the major cities of India. It is 11 kms away from Bibi-ka-Maqbara.

Timings: 8am to 8pm on all days.
Entry Fees: Rs. 10/person for Indians and Rs. 250/person for foreigners.
Best Time to Visit: October to March would be the best time to visit this place as the weather remains very pleasant.

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Diwali : Mumbai When it Twinkles

This year, I was fortunate enough to be in Mumbai as it was the grand five-day holiday known as Diwali (Deepavali) also referred to as the ‘Festival of Lights’.

I walk through the streets of Vashi in Navi Mumbai, looking at the Diwali celebrations. Street markets is the best place to get the Diwali vibe. Shops were busy selling festive colored lights, jewelry, cloths and sweets.

Diwali is spiritually known to signify the triumph, or victory, of light over darkness. You can see streets shining brightly with millions of  festive colored lights. It was dark when I reached Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus station. I was excited to see the special lightning given to the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus building on the occasion of Diwali.

And I headed to Marine Drive. The Marine Drive provided a stunning canvas for Diwali celebration. The pathways of Marine Drive was filled with people celebrating Diwali with fireworks and the area were completely filled with smoke.

It is believed that on this auspicious day, Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and good fortune, roams about and visits the houses of people. Therefore, people arrange their homes and shops and decorate them lavishly to welcome the goddess. Rangoli is commonly used to decorate homes.

In the evening everyday, during Diwali, people light small lamps made of small earthen pots with a cotton wick and oil popularly known as diyas.

Often you can see diyas being placed outside the  homes.

During this festive season, people eat, shop and burst crackers a lot. Friends and relatives visit each other’s homes to exchange gifts and the sweets . Poojas  are organized at homes to spread the blessings of good fortune and prosperity for the New Year ahead. Often people organize pooja in their offices and sweets and gifts are distributed to employees. On this occasion, people wear traditional dresses.

I was very happy to have had the chance to spend this festival season  in Mumbai.

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Krishnapuram Palace, Kerala

This historical palace was built in the 18th century during the reign of Marthanda Varma, the legendary King of Tranvancore. Situated near Kayamkulam, Kerala,  this three storeyed building was used as a temporary house for the royal kings. When you are travelling through NH-47, from Kochi to Kollam, after  Kayamkulam bus stand,  you can see a board indicating the direction to the Palace which is just half kms from the main road.

The palace is also an excellent example of the  Kerala style Architecture. After taking entry tickets and crossing the main gate, you will reach the entrance gate of this palace which is a traditional Padippura (entry of a house).

The palace has four Nadumuttoms ( Central Court yards ) popularly known as 16 kettu ( 4 each for one Nadumuttom) and 22 rooms in ancient Kerala architecture style.

You can see the exhibits of some antique items too.

Another exhibit is a pallakku - used by  the King to travel-  which was carried by servants on their shoulders. A Bible written in Sanskrit is another attraction.  The west side of the Palace is a big pond.

There is an entry to the pond from the middle of house which is called as "Kula Kadavu" in local language . This entry is used to bathe in the pond and one can reach here by climbing down the brick steps .

Another attraction in the palace is an exhibit of the Gajendra Moksham, which is the largest single piece of mural painting so far discovered in Kerala.  The painting is placed at the entrance to the palace from the pond.  According to the legend, the king used to pay his homage to Lord Vishnu just after his bath from the pond. There are few mural pictures on the walls which are damaged with time.

Mural of Gajendra Moksham.

Clay tile flooring have been used on the floors.  You can watch the kitchen  of the palace and the articles used during those times.

One can find a huge collection of rare antique bronze sculptures, wood sculptures, coins, megalithic remains and mural paintings.  The palace also houses exhibites of  a big collection of old coins used in the earlier time.Bigger coin in the picture is Chakram and the Smaller one Kashu.

Another attraction is Rasi palaka ( the coin board) - a wooden board with small niches used to count small coins and  coins mints.

There are halls were the King conducted his meetings,inner balconies,balcony with a view to the rear pond. Roof is made of solid wood. All rooms have natural ventilated windows.

Traditional interior of  the palace is noteworthy.  Around the room, there is a walkway covered by wooden rafter work. There are stairs made of wooden steps.

You can find a well attached to the building.  Through the front side windows, you will get a beautiful view of  padippura and entry gate.

There are displays of old swords of the King. I saw the famous ‘Kayamkulam Vaal (Sword)’ – a double sided sharpened sword used by the King.

Then I came out of the palace to watch the surroundings.  In the middle of the garden is an old Anchal box with a conical sign. It is made of cast iron brought from England. There are around 150 such boxes in various places in kersla.

From the left side of the entry gate, you can watch a beautiful statue of Buddha and Buddha Mandapam ( hall). It is said that the Buddha statue was recovered from a pond.

A must-visit for all art and history lovers

Visiting time:
All days of week, except Monday, from 9.30 am to 4.30 pm

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A cruise through Alappuzha Backwaters

I had visited most of the places in my home state Kerala, but had missed out the Alappuzha boat ride. So me and my wife decided to spend a day in Alappuzha. We started our journey at around 9 AM from Kochi after a heavy break fast.  With my old favorite Malayalam songs, the car drive was enjoyable. After a 60 minute drive we reached Alappuzha at around 10 AM. Being tired, I decided to have a refreshing cup of tea from Hotel Araam ( KTDC restaurant) .

Then we went to the District Promotion Tourism Council Office at Alappuzha.  There we were informed about the various types of house-boats and shikara packages that they have. Both motor boats and Shikara boats are available but motor boat seems to be more safe.  So we selected a Rs.400 per hour plan for 3 hours. By that time our guide, Mr.Rajendran (we called him Rajendran Chettan), who was also the driver of the motorboat, was also ready .

When we reached the place, we could see hundreds of boats lined up.



Shikara boats

Beautiful house boat

We also saw a snake boat (local name  "Chundan Vallam") parked near the bank. The boats are more than 100 feet long and  this one was oared by 100 people during the famous Kerala boat race held every year. He also showed us the starting and finishing point of Nehru trophy boat race which is held in August every year.

Snake Boat or Chundan Vallam used for Nehru trophy boat race

Rajendran Chettan asked us to sit atop  the boat. I kept clicking away my camera throughout the journey. In between Rajendran Chetten took my camera and clicked our photos too. 



The boat went through the waterways, the air was cool and the breeze was too relaxing. It was an amazing sight to see Kuttanad especially the paddy fields, fish farms, coconut trees, water birds, temples, Church, School ,houses on either side of the waterway and life of the people.

paddy fields - Kuttanad



After about  an hour of  the ride we reached the Vembanad Lake, the longest lake in India. One side of the lake directs to Kollam, another to Kumarakom and another to Kochi.

 Like bus stand, these are boat stands.

fish farm

One  interesting view was an election campaign using a  boat which we usually see in jeeps or cars on land. 

Election campaign through lake

We got to see the village life from the boat ... women washing clothes, men fishing. Villager's use small boats as their private vehicle .

They  also use their private boat for transporting goods like coconuts etc etc.

We saw many house boats and we were updated  with interesting bits of information like number of boats, places to visit nearby etc etc.  

Pathira-manal an island which is also a bird sanctuary was also spotted during the ride. 

Overall it  was an amazing experience to travel through Alappuzha backwaters.

What else you can do in Alappuzha: 

1) You can roam around the city of Alappuzha by hiring an Auto Rickshaw, Taxi cab, two wheelers and bikes.

2) Ayurvedic Massage centers are available

3) Shopping around Alappuzha

4) There are some churches and temples around the resort, which you can reach by waterway or by walk. Some of the most beautiful options are Chettikulangara Devi Temple, Chakkulathukavu Temple, Amabalapuzha Sreekrishna Swami temple, Mannarashala temple, Haripad Subramanya Swami temple, Mullakkal Bhagavathi Temple, Alappuzha CSI Christ Church, St Xavier’s Chapel Church near Alappuzha Beach, and Edathua Church Alappuzha, and Jain Temple Alappuzha. Most of the places can be accessed by a private vehicle or local transport.

 

How to reach Alappuzha :

The popular routes are railways and airways.

- From the nearest Cochin International Airport (COK), the distance of Alappuzha town is around 83 km.
- The distance of Alappuzha town from Alappuzha Railway station is around 4 Km.
- K.S.R.T.C Bus stand is located near to DTPC office.

For House Boat/Shikara booking you can contact:

The Secretary,DTPC

Boat Jetty Road,
Near K.S.R.T.C Bus Stand,Alappuzha
Ph: 2251796,2253308

www.dtpcalappuzha.com

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Durgotsav 2015 in Mumbai

Yet another festival I was waiting for after Ganpati festival. Durga Puja in Mumbai has all authentic spirit of celebration and splendor of the festival of Bengalis.  I was wandering through the streets of Mumbai to visit puja pandals....I saw Durga Pandal of Navi Mumbai Bengali Association at  Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Sports Ground, Sector 1A, Vashi, Navi Mumbai.  It was amazing.

Pandal hopping is almost like a tradition when it comes to Durga Puja and Bengalis. The pandal was decorated lavishly with superior design and lightning.


The 16 feet-tall Durga idol was draped in an original Banarasi saree studded with ornaments made of seashells. Various gods were decorated beautifully. The walls were decorted with electric wires and bulbs.


The vast area of the compound were filled with stalls selling food, cloths etc etc. They also arranged musical and dance events during the Puja.  Durga Puja is definitely a festival to look out for especially those who love celebrations, mouth watering sweets, dance and music. 

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Andharban Valley Trek

Andharban means a dark dense forest.  It is situated in Mulshi Taluka of Pune district, Maharashtra , India.

We started off our journey from Mumbai to Pimpari village by around 12:30 am .  It is almost 150 kms journey to reach the place in the early morning.  After breakfast and a brief introductory session, we headed towards the valley. There was a small dam with beautiful hills in the background.

Small farmlands and wild flowers captivated us as we crossed the small paths that lead to the hills. The trail continued to Independence Point along the valley sides. After a few minutes of walk, we reached the mouth of the valley.  Actual Andharban trek starts through the right side from here. But we decided to move ahead with a sudden descend into the valley.

The view coupled with wild flowers,  Bhira Dam at the end point, sky high mountains and tranquility  will surprise you.

Andharban has good flora in monsoon and there are  lots of things to see around.

It is a descend trek, where you are already on height and you will be descending till the end.  It is one of the most beautiful trek with lots of things to explore. The real test of endurance begins now.  There were few rock patches  and all of us crossed it without major hurdles. Then the group continued the walk through the rocks by climbing and jumping.

The light rays falling from different directions into the valley created some beautiful shades.

There were few more rock patches without a proper path and were difficult too. Not many trekkers would have chosen this path for Andharban trek before.  Volunteer's helped others to descend.  Those who had already crossed, got an opportunity to take some rest. It was somewhat difficult for first time trekkers.

There were small waterfalls on our way and we took few minutes break to click photographs. There were few rappelling patches and it took more time for all trekkers to descend.

The rock patches were difficult and there were no steps or hand rails to descend. The  descending is not that simple as it appears.

After crossing some big rocks, we reached a vast area with 2-3 waterfalls . The continuous sound of the waterfalls started hitting our ears in the silence.  The we walked towards the waterfall.  After a nice bath, we opened our food packets.

As you walk forward, the mountains slowly open up and start giving you a glimpse of the valley ahead.

Soon we reached the exit point of the valley. We were in the middle of nowhere. There was no proper way to descend and a huge valley was ahead us. We did not have proper equipment or guide to rappel down and we decided to stop our descend. 

The trek  took 4 hours altogether. It was around 3.00 PM when we started our ascending. This was new in this particular trek. By around 7 PM we reached the top of the valley. The last and final challenge is the long walk through the end of the valley to a village which marks the end of the trek.

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