OUR VISIT TO THANJAVUR, 20TH AND 21ST NOV, 2009
CHOLA DYNASTY
The Chola dynasty ruled most of South India,Sri Lanka and parts of South East Asia from 200 BC to 1280 AD except for a period of 200 years during which they were subservient to the Pandyas and Pallavas. This is one of the longest reigns by one dynasty.
Their reign can be divided into three periods.
THE EARLY CHOLAS: FROM 200 BC TO 800 AD.
Mention of the Chola Kingdom has been made in Ashoka’s pillars of 273 BC. Mention is also found in SANGAM Literature of 150 BC, in writings by geographer Ptolemy, in the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea (Periplus Maris Erythraei) by an anonymous Alexandrian merchant of 81-90BC.
Their capitals were Urayur(now part of Tiruchirapally) and Kaveripattinam.
While the Sangam literature records the names of a number of Chola kings of this period,the most famous among these were Karikala Chola, Nedunkilli and Perunarkilli.
Mythology says that during the reign of one King Kantaman, Kaveri was brought to the earth by sage Agastya.
It is also recorded that one of the kings, Elara invaded Sri Lanka.
THE MEDIEVAL CHOLAS: FROM 800 AD TO 1070 AD:
Before the advent of medieval Cholas, they were overcome by Pandyas and Pallavas and were compelled to seek refuge under them. They continued to have their capital at Urayur and ruled a small area, till Vijayalaya rose to power in 848 AD. Taking advantage of conflicts between the Pallavas and Pandyas,he captured Thanjavur and eventually established the imperial line of the medieval Cholas. There is an abundance of materials from diverse sources about Vijayalaya and the later Chola kings. A large number of stone inscriptions by the Cholas themselves and by their rival kings, Pandyas and Chalukyas, and copper-plate grants, have been instrumental in constructing the history of Cholas of that period.
Under Rajaraja Chola I and his son Rajendra Chola I, the dynasty became a military, economic and cultural power in South Asia and South-east Asia.At its peak, the Chola Empire stretched from the island of Sri Lanka in the south to the Godavari-Krishna basin in the north, up to the Konkan coast in Bhatkal, the entire Malabar Coast in addition to Lakshadweep, Maldives and vast areas of Chera country. The kingdoms of Deccan and the eastern coast were subordinates, feudatories of the Cholas.Other kingdoms like the Chalukyas between 1000-1075 AD paid tribute to the Cholas. Rajendra Chola I completed the conquest of the island of Sri Lanka and captured the Sinhala king Mahinda V prisoner, in addition to his conquests of Rattapadi (territories of the Rashtrakutas, Chalukya country, Talakkad, Kolar (where the Kolaramma temple still has his portrait statue) in Kannada country. In addition Rajendra's territories included the area falling on the Ganga-Hooghly-Damodar basin, large parts of Burma, Thailand, Indo-China, Laos, Kambodia, the Malay Peninsula and Indonesia. The kingdoms along the east coast of India up to the river Ganges acknowledged Chola suzerainty. Chola navies invaded and conquered Srivijaya in the Malayan archipelago.The wars against the Chalukyas were mainly fought in Chalukya territories in Telugu country like Vengi, Kakinada or Anantapur or Gutti.
Marital and political alliances between the Eastern Chalukya kings based around
Vengi located on the south banks of the River Godavari began during the reign of
Rajaraja following his invasion of Vengi. Rajaraja Chola's daughter married the
Chalukyan Prince Vimaladitya. Rajendra Chola's daughter was married to
Eastern Chalukya Prince Rajaraja Narendra( the mentor of Nannaya, author
Of Mahabharata in Telugu).
Under the Cholas, the Tamil country reached new heights of excellence in art, religion and literature. Monumental architecture in the form of majestic temples and sculpture in stone and bronze reached a finesse never before achieved in India. With heavily ornamented pillars accurate in detail and richly sculpted walls, the temples are classic examples of Chola art and architecture.
Temple building received great impetus from the conquests and the genius of Rajaraja Chola and his son Rajendra Chola I.The maturity and grandeur to which the Chola architecture had evolved found expression in the two temples of Thanjavur and Gangaikondacholapuram. The magnificent Brihadisvara temple in Thanjavur, completed around 1009 AD, is a fitting memorial to the material achievements of the time of Rajaraja. The largest and tallest of all Indian temples of its time, it is at the apex of South Indian architecture.
This temple along with the temple of Gangaikondacholisvaram at Gangaikondacholapuram and the Airavatesvara Temple at Darasuram were declared as World Heritage Sites by the UNESCO, and are referred to as the Great living Chola temples.
Another famous form of art was the bronze figurines that were crafted during this time. The craftsmen used to beautifully decorate the statues with garlands and jewelry while carving the statue itself. Famous examples of bronze statues are the Nataraja and Lord Shiva as Ardhanarishwara.
The Chola conquest of Kadaram (Kedah) and Srivijaya, and their continued commercial contacts with the Chinese Empire, enabled them to influence the local cultures. Many of the surviving examples of the Hindu cultural influence found today throughout the Southeast Asia owe much to the legacy of the Cholas.
The Tang dynasty of China, the Srivijaya empire in the Malayan archipelago under the Sailendras, and the Abbasid Kalifat at Baghdad were the main trading partners.
In general, Cholas were adherents of Saivite Hinduism but were favourably disposed towards Vaishnavism. Throughout their history, they were not swayed by the rise of Buddhism and Jainism.However during the rule of the later Cholas there seems to have been some antagonism towards Vaishnavism, specially against Sri Ramanuja.The age of the Imperial Cholas (850–1200) was the golden age of Tamil culture, marked by the importance of literature.
Kamban flourished during the reign of Kulothunga Chola III. His Ramavatharam (also referred to as Kambaramayanam) is a great epic in Tamil literature.
Jayamkondar’s masterpiece Kalingattuparani is an example of narrative poetry that draws a clear boundary between history and fictitious conventions.
The famous Tamil poet Ottakuttan was a contemporary of Kulothunga Chola I and served at the courts of three of Kulothunga's successors.Ottakuttan wrote Kulothunga Cholan Ula, a poem extolling the virtues of the Chola king.
Jain and Buddhist authors flourished as well, although in fewer numbers than in previous centuries.Jivaka-chintamani by Tirutakkatevar and Sulamani by Tolamoli are among notable by non-Hindu authors.
LATER CHOLAS: 1070 TO 1279 AD.
In 1070 AD, Kulothunga Chola I, the son of Rajaraja Narendra(Chalukya Chola), ascended the Chola throne starting the Later Chola dynasty. The rule of the later Cholas was not as strong as those of the emperors up to Rajendra Chola II. The decline of the Chola power started beginning 1215 AD. The Cholas lost control of the island of Lanka and were driven out by the revival of Sinhala power. Around 1118 AD, they lost control of Vengi to the Western Chalukyas and Gangavadi (Southern Mysore districts) to the Hoysalas. The Hoysalas were routed from Kannanur Kuppam around 1279AD by Kulasekhara Pandiyan and in the same war the last Chola emperor Rajendra III was routed and the Chola Empire ceased to exist thereafter.
BRIHADEESWARA TEMPLE, THANJAVUR
The temple gateway
The temple complex sits on the banks of a river that was channeled to make a moat around the complex's outer walls, the walls being built like a fortress. There is a small bridge across the moat giving access to the temple gateway. The complex is made up of many structures that are aligned axially. The complex can be entered either through a five-story gopuram or directly to the huge main quadrangle of about 152.40x76.20 m, through a smaller free-standing gopuram.
The Temple
This temple is one of India's most prized architectural sites. The temple stands amidst fortified walls. The 'Vimana' - or the temple tower - is 66 m high and is among the tallest of its kind in the world. This is referred to as Dakshina Meru. It is a tower of fourteen storeys, finely decorated with pilasters, niches and images of gods of the Hindu pantheon. The plinth of the Central Shrine is 45.72 square m., while the shrine proper is 30.48 square m.
The Kalash or 'Shikhara' (apex or the bulbous structure on the top) of the temple, an octogonal structure, is about 4 m high and is of monolithic granite weighing 81.25tons. It is believed that this block was carried up a specially built ramp from Sarapallam, a site 6 kilometers away from the temple. It is said that the shadow of the temple tower does not fall on the floor at any circumstances by sun light.
The Shivalingam - Peruvudaiyar, Rajarajeswaramudaiyar - is a huge one about 4 m high, set in a two storeyed sanctum.The walls surrounding the sanctum delight visitors as a storehouse of murals and sculpture.
A 107 paragraph long inscription on the walls of the Vimanam records the contributions of Raja Raja Chola and his sister Kundavai to the Thanjavur temple.
The temple is an example of the architectural conception of the pure form of the Dravida type of temple architecture and representative of the Chola Empire ideology and the Tamil civilisation in Southern India. The temples testify to the brilliant achievements of the Cholas in architecture, sculpture, painting and bronze casting. The entire temple structure is made out of hard granite stones, a material sparsely available currently in Thanjavur area where the temple is located.
There is a big idol of Nandi (sacred bull),facing the Sanctum Sanctorum, dating back to the Nayak rule, carved out of a single rock, at the entrance measuring about 5 m long and 4 m high, and weighs about 25 tonnes.
THE PALACE
The palace is located inside the fort and consists of large buildings constructed during the Nayak and Maratha periods. The world famous bronze musuem, Maharaja Sarfoji’s Saraswathy Mahal library, Sangeetha mahal, Art Gallery, Lakshmi Vilas Durbar hall, the Royal museum(personal collections by the Maratha kings),Raja Sarfoji Memorial hall and museum are all part of the palace complex. The whole complex is in extremely poor condition. Grass has grown everywhere. There are cobwebs all over. Structure is dilapidating.
The Saraswathy Mahal Library was a great let down. The palm leaf manuscripts are kept in glass cases, which are poorly ventilated and lit. It is supposed to have about 30,000 manuscripts and 6500 printed books. The place is not even air conditioned.
The Lakshmi Vilas durbar Hall has a single slab of granite measuring 18 ft X16 ft X 2.5 ft carved all round used as a throne by Nayak kings. It now has an intricately carved marble statue of Sarfoji in Royal attire made in England in 1807 AD. In the couple of hours we were in the palace we did not notice even one other visitor. The entry charges are Re1 or Rs.2. Dirty slips of receipts are given. The whole maintenance is dependant on Government grants. I really do not know whether any grants are being received and how they are being spent. Very soon the buildings will crumble to dust. The whole picture is very depressing and is unlikely to attract any visitors. I learnt that they are another 15/16 rooms which were vacated by the descendants of the Marathas available with the government, which are locked up. The descendants have shifted to modern houses outside the palace.
I have collected the information about the temple from Saraswathy Mahal Library, local folk lore and some web sites.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Saturday, October 17, 2009
HOT AIR BALLOON FLIGHT
HOT AIR BALLOON FLIGHT
One fine morning in June 2003, while we were with my son’s family in Ottawa, Canada, he took us to the office of Sky View. From there their cheerful hostess took us to the place from where the hot air balloons are launched.
We saw three huge balloons laid down on the ground. We were met by the operator who explained about the balloon and the flight.
The Balloon consists basically of the envelope (the balloon made of tough nylon), the skirt which is the bottom part of the envelope and which is made of fire resistant material, the burners and the wicker basket in which the passengers are carried. The basket, some times called the gondala also has a chamber in which cylinders of Propane gas are kept.
Most hot air balloons use a wicker basket for the passenger compartment. Wicker works very well because it is sturdy, flexible and relatively lightweight. The flexibility helps with balloon landings. In a basket made of more rigid material, passengers would feel the brunt of the impact force while landing. Wicker material flexes a little, absorbing some of the energy.
The balloon is about 70 ft high.
The propane is stored in compressed liquid form, in lightweight cylinders positioned in the balloon basket. The propane changes from a liquid to a gas as it comes out of cylinders, before it is ignited. This gas makes for a more powerful flame and more efficient fuel consumption. The lighter looks like a flame thrower. A huge fan throws air into the balloon and as it gets into the balloon it is heated by the flame, the balloon starts swelling majestically and becomes upright.
Generally since the basket is quite high, some passengers get into it in the lying down position and start standing as the balloon becomes upright. The crew hold on to the basket till the balloon is fully inflated.
We were lifted gently, watching the earth fall away below us. Soon, we were flying over the town, roads, railways and green plains at a height of about 2500 ft. We dipped down to kiss the waters of a limpid lake, then floated up again. Most of us had never seen the world from this perspective. There’s no rush, no urgency, no whirring of engines. It’s peaceful, serene and incredibly beautiful. There’s no feeling quite like it, nothing on earth that can match the magic of floating on air, the sense of being at one with the sky and looking down at a world that is looking up at you!
Piloting a balloon takes skill, but the controls are actually very simple. To lift the balloon, the pilot moves a control that opens up the propane valve. This lever works just like the knobs on a gas grill or stove: As you turn it, the flow of gas increases, so the flame grows in size. The pilot can increase the vertical speed by blasting a larger flame to heat the air more rapidly.
Before we realized it the one hour of flight was to come to an end and the pilot started looking for landing grounds. It is a remarkably serene, peaceful experience. Since the balloon moves with the wind, you don't feel any breeze at all. Without the rushing winds you normally associate with high altitudes, the experience of flying seems very safe and calming -- you simply lift off the ground and move with the air in the atmosphere.
When the pilot was ready to land, he discussed possible landing sites with the ground crew (via an onboard radio). They need to find a wide open space, where there are no power lines and plenty of room to lay out the balloon. As soon as the balloon is in the air, the pilot was constantly looking for suitable landing sites, in case there is an emergency.
We were warned that the balloon landing could be a little rough, but the pilot bumped along the ground to stop the balloon gradually, minimizing the impact. The basket remained vertical. The ground crew had made it to the landing site and held the basket down once it landed. The second balloon behind us had a rough landing. The crew had to pull it along the ground to a better spot and in the process the basket fell on its side giving a series of jolts to the passengers.
The hostess was there to receive us with a bottle of champagne and a Certificate of Hot air Balloon flying.
All in all we had a soaring experience.
FOR THOSE INTERESTED IN TECHNICAL POINTS:
Hot air balloons are based on a very basic scientific principle: warmer air rises in cooler air. Essentially, hot air is lighter than cool air, because it has less mass per unit of volume. A cubic foot of air weighs roughly 28 grams (about an ounce). If you heat that air by 100 degrees F, it weighs about 7 grams less. Therefore, each cubic foot of air contained in a hot air balloon can lift about 7 grams. That's not much, and this is why hot air balloons are so huge -- to lift 1,000 pounds, you need about 65,000 cubic feet of hot air.
Essentially, these are the only controls -- heat to make the balloon rise and venting to make it sink. This raises an interesting question: If pilots can only move hot air balloons up and down, how do they get the balloon from place to place? As it turns out, pilots can maneuver horizontally by changing their vertical position, because wind blows in different directions at different altitudes. To move in a particular direction, a pilot ascends or descends to the appropriate level, and rides with the wind. Since wind speed generally increases as you get higher in the atmosphere, pilots can also control horizontal speed by changing altitude.
The hot air won't escape from the skirt at the bottom of the envelope because buoyancy keeps it moving up. If the pilot continually fires the fuel jets, the balloon will continue to rise. There is an upper altitude limit, however, since eventually the air becomes so thin that the buoyant force is too weak to lift the balloon. The buoyant force is equal to the weight of air displaced by the balloon, so a larger balloon envelope will generally have a higher upper altitude limit than a smaller balloon.
Hot air balloons also have a cord to open the parachute valve at the top of the envelope. When the pilot pulls the attached cord, some hot air can escape from the envelope, decreasing the inner air temperature. This causes the balloon to slow its ascent. If the pilot keeps the valve open long enough, the balloon will sink.
One fine morning in June 2003, while we were with my son’s family in Ottawa, Canada, he took us to the office of Sky View. From there their cheerful hostess took us to the place from where the hot air balloons are launched.
We saw three huge balloons laid down on the ground. We were met by the operator who explained about the balloon and the flight.
The Balloon consists basically of the envelope (the balloon made of tough nylon), the skirt which is the bottom part of the envelope and which is made of fire resistant material, the burners and the wicker basket in which the passengers are carried. The basket, some times called the gondala also has a chamber in which cylinders of Propane gas are kept.
Most hot air balloons use a wicker basket for the passenger compartment. Wicker works very well because it is sturdy, flexible and relatively lightweight. The flexibility helps with balloon landings. In a basket made of more rigid material, passengers would feel the brunt of the impact force while landing. Wicker material flexes a little, absorbing some of the energy.
The balloon is about 70 ft high.
The propane is stored in compressed liquid form, in lightweight cylinders positioned in the balloon basket. The propane changes from a liquid to a gas as it comes out of cylinders, before it is ignited. This gas makes for a more powerful flame and more efficient fuel consumption. The lighter looks like a flame thrower. A huge fan throws air into the balloon and as it gets into the balloon it is heated by the flame, the balloon starts swelling majestically and becomes upright.
Generally since the basket is quite high, some passengers get into it in the lying down position and start standing as the balloon becomes upright. The crew hold on to the basket till the balloon is fully inflated.
We were lifted gently, watching the earth fall away below us. Soon, we were flying over the town, roads, railways and green plains at a height of about 2500 ft. We dipped down to kiss the waters of a limpid lake, then floated up again. Most of us had never seen the world from this perspective. There’s no rush, no urgency, no whirring of engines. It’s peaceful, serene and incredibly beautiful. There’s no feeling quite like it, nothing on earth that can match the magic of floating on air, the sense of being at one with the sky and looking down at a world that is looking up at you!
Piloting a balloon takes skill, but the controls are actually very simple. To lift the balloon, the pilot moves a control that opens up the propane valve. This lever works just like the knobs on a gas grill or stove: As you turn it, the flow of gas increases, so the flame grows in size. The pilot can increase the vertical speed by blasting a larger flame to heat the air more rapidly.
Before we realized it the one hour of flight was to come to an end and the pilot started looking for landing grounds. It is a remarkably serene, peaceful experience. Since the balloon moves with the wind, you don't feel any breeze at all. Without the rushing winds you normally associate with high altitudes, the experience of flying seems very safe and calming -- you simply lift off the ground and move with the air in the atmosphere.
When the pilot was ready to land, he discussed possible landing sites with the ground crew (via an onboard radio). They need to find a wide open space, where there are no power lines and plenty of room to lay out the balloon. As soon as the balloon is in the air, the pilot was constantly looking for suitable landing sites, in case there is an emergency.
We were warned that the balloon landing could be a little rough, but the pilot bumped along the ground to stop the balloon gradually, minimizing the impact. The basket remained vertical. The ground crew had made it to the landing site and held the basket down once it landed. The second balloon behind us had a rough landing. The crew had to pull it along the ground to a better spot and in the process the basket fell on its side giving a series of jolts to the passengers.
The hostess was there to receive us with a bottle of champagne and a Certificate of Hot air Balloon flying.
All in all we had a soaring experience.
FOR THOSE INTERESTED IN TECHNICAL POINTS:
Hot air balloons are based on a very basic scientific principle: warmer air rises in cooler air. Essentially, hot air is lighter than cool air, because it has less mass per unit of volume. A cubic foot of air weighs roughly 28 grams (about an ounce). If you heat that air by 100 degrees F, it weighs about 7 grams less. Therefore, each cubic foot of air contained in a hot air balloon can lift about 7 grams. That's not much, and this is why hot air balloons are so huge -- to lift 1,000 pounds, you need about 65,000 cubic feet of hot air.
Essentially, these are the only controls -- heat to make the balloon rise and venting to make it sink. This raises an interesting question: If pilots can only move hot air balloons up and down, how do they get the balloon from place to place? As it turns out, pilots can maneuver horizontally by changing their vertical position, because wind blows in different directions at different altitudes. To move in a particular direction, a pilot ascends or descends to the appropriate level, and rides with the wind. Since wind speed generally increases as you get higher in the atmosphere, pilots can also control horizontal speed by changing altitude.
The hot air won't escape from the skirt at the bottom of the envelope because buoyancy keeps it moving up. If the pilot continually fires the fuel jets, the balloon will continue to rise. There is an upper altitude limit, however, since eventually the air becomes so thin that the buoyant force is too weak to lift the balloon. The buoyant force is equal to the weight of air displaced by the balloon, so a larger balloon envelope will generally have a higher upper altitude limit than a smaller balloon.
Hot air balloons also have a cord to open the parachute valve at the top of the envelope. When the pilot pulls the attached cord, some hot air can escape from the envelope, decreasing the inner air temperature. This causes the balloon to slow its ascent. If the pilot keeps the valve open long enough, the balloon will sink.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
UTTARANCHAL
OUR TRIP TO UTTARANCHAL
17th September 2008 to 26th September 2008.
Mumbai-NewDelhi-Haridwar-Rishikesh -Dev Prayag-Rudra Prayag- Joshi Math-Badrinath-Maana
DAY 1- 17th September, 2008:
We (a group of three couples) travelled by the Rajdhani Express from Mumbai Central on 17th September, 2008 around 5 pm and reached Nizamuddin station of New Delhi at 10am next day.
DAY 2- 18th September:
We left Delhi immediately in a tempo traveler through heavy morning rush hour traffic and reached Haridwar around 6pm.After a quick freshening up, we left for Har ki pauri (known for a footprint of Vishnu on a stone in a wall )and reached just in time to witness the evening aarti. While the aarti is in progress in the Ganga temple large number of people take a dip in the Ganga, perform pooja .Offerings of lamps and flowers are made to the river immediately following this ceremony and it is a moving sight to watch hundreds of miniature lamps float along the river In the darkness all round. After the aarti, we had darshan of all the temples in the area. The main one is for Ganga. This is supposed to be the place where Ganga landed after the penance of Bhagiratha. In fact here in Haridwar, Ganga reaches the plains. The other temples are of Anjaneya, Kalbhairav, and replicas of Badrinath and Kedarnath.
The other important temple is the Manasadevi temple situated on top of a small hill.
Haridwar is also the site of celebration of the Kumbha Mela, once in twelve years, when Jupiter transits to the zodiac sign of Aquarius.
DAY 3- 19th September:
We left the hotel very early as we had a long drive and reached Joshi math around 5pm. It is about 270 kms, and at an altitude of 1650 M. On the way we crossed Rishikesh, Dev Prayag and Rudra Prayag.
DAY 4- 20th September:
Joshi Math is one of the four great 'maths' established by the Adi Guru Shri Shankaracharya in the 8th century AD.
At Joshi math we visited the Narasimha temple, which is about 1200 years old. Dedicated to Vishnu, the presiding deity of the temple is Narsimha, the half-man, half-lion and fourth incarnation of Vishnu .This is the place where the Badrinath idol is brought and kept during winter months. The temple also had idols of Adi Sankar, Siva and Durga. There is also a tree under which Adi Sankara meditated for 5 years and then established the Sankar Math.
Situated some 30 yards from the Narsimha Temple, the Vasudeva Temple is one of the most famous Vishnu temples in north India. It was considered very sacred by the Tamil vaishnavite saints known as alvars . The presiding deity of the temple is Vasudeva who is identified with Vishnu. The idol is carved out of a piece of black stone measuring 6 feet in height.
From Joshi Math the vehicles wait in a convoy to go to Badrinath. Since the road is very narrow, vehicles from Joshimath are allowed 5 times a day at 6,9,11.30am& 2:30 and 4 pm. Vehicles from Badrinath come during the in between periods. We waited in the queue from 7.30 am, but at 2pm we were told that there was no chance of leaving that day due to heavy land slides on the way. We went back to the same hotel.
After a little rest we visited the Sankara math situated on top of a small hill. Both Dwaraka Mutt and Badri Mutt have the same Sankaracharya. However from Varanasi a Sanyasi is deputed to take care of the Mutt’s affairs when Sankaracharya is away at Dwarka. We met this Sanyasi who is in charge of the Mutt.
From Joshi Math there is a cable car service to Auli, one of the few places in India for skiing and other winter sports.
DAY 5- 21st September:
We left the hotel again by 6.30 am. and joined the queue at the check post. We were allowed to move around 2.30 pm after news came that the land slide has been cleared.
First comes Gobind Ghat from where a road goes to the Valley of flowers and a famous Gurudwara.
After some distance we could see the amount of land slides that had taken place and the efforts Border Road Organisation was taking to clear the mess. It was a stupendous task. In spite of all the machinery at their disposal they were able to clear a small way for one vehicle to pass. There was hill on one side about a hundred feet high from which the slide happened and on the other side a steep fall. The amount of earth to be cleared was enormous.
We reached Vishnu Prayag where a small river Dhauli Ganga joins Alakananda. A 400 MW capacity Hydro electric project is under construction here.
We then reached Pandukeshwar, where all vehicles stop. Here alternately vehicles in each direction are allowed to pass. We had to wait there for nearly 45 minutes.
We reached at Badrinath at around 5 pm. The distance travelled is hardly 45 kms. Badrinath is at an altitude of 3450M and the temperature was around 8 deg.C.
Badrinath is considered to be amongst the most pious of the eternal pilgrimage centres of Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri. Badrinath temple, dedicated to Lord Vishnu said to have been built by Adi Guru Shankaracharya in the early 9th century AD is located on the right bank of river Alaknanda, perched at an altitude of over 3100m in the middle of a valley full with scenic beauty.
The temple does not have an idol of Badrinath as understood commonly. Instead there is a large Saligram with features like carvings. The Saligram was recovered by Adi Sankaracharya from a hot spring near the temple called Tapt Kund. The diety is flanked by Nara, Narayana, Narada, Kuber, Garuda, Uddhava
There is a hot water spring, Tapt Kund, near the temple. It has hot water even when it is freezing cold all around. The spring is said to cure several diseases naturally by taking a dip in it. The other hot water springs in Badrinath are Narad Kund and Surya Kund.
Nar and Narayan Parvats with the Neelkanth peak (6,597m) in the back ground can be seen from the temple.
Since no vehicles could leave Badrinath for two days, lots of people were stranded. This caused a tremendous crowd at the temple. We had to push through them. Some how, we managed to have darshan and came out of the temple.
DAY 6- 22nd September:
Next morning it started drizzling a little. We went to the temple and stood in a queue. Devotees are let in groups of six and can remain inside for a few minutes. Luckily we could get in quickly and had a peaceful darshan. It started raining heavily and we all got wet. We returned to the hotel and after some time left for Maana which is about 3 kms from Badrinath.
Maana( actually Manibhadrapuri) is the last village before the border with Tibet. There is a tea stall which claims to be the last tea stall on Indian soil before the border. This is Kesava Prayag where Saraswathy and Alaknanda join. One can see the difference in colours of the waters of the two rivers. We went up a little hill where there is a huge boulder across Saraswathy, which is called Bhim pul. On the other side there is a cave from which water gushes out. This is said to be River Saraswathy.
There is a temple for Ganesha. It is said that he sat here and wrote the Mahabharat while Veda Vyasa dictated it. Further ahead is a cave called Vyasa Guha in which Ved Vyas is said to have done penance before dictating the Mahabharat. Beyond this is the Draupadi temple, which we did not visit. This is the point where Pandavas while going to the Heavens started falling off one by one.
We had another great darshan leisurely after lunch. We then got tickets for another darshan in the evening and retired to the hotel. We were back at the temple in the evening. This time they allowed about 40 people together and made us all sit just near the garbhagriha. The priests recited Vishnu Sahasranamam. We could sit there for nearly 40 minutes and had a wonderful darshan. Every one was over joyed that in a period of slightly more than a day we could have darshan four times.
DAY 7-23rd September:
First batch of vehicles are permitted to leave Badrinath at 9am. We left Badrinath in the first batch. Due to the time lost at Joshimath we cancelled our halt there and decided to go directly to Rudra Prayag. After Pandukeshwar, there was again some hold up. While we were waiting there we could here blasting of huge boulders which had blocked the road. We could see the smoke coming out of the blasts. Once the road was cleared we left the place. We had lunch at Pipal Kot and reached at Rudra Prayag around 5.30pm.
Rudraprayag is situated on the confluence of the rivers Mandakini and Alaknanda. It is home to the Rudranath Temple that is dedicated to Shiva. Near the temple is the place where Narada, reputed to be the inventor of the veena, a musical instrument, is believed to have meditated.
There is a fork in the road near Rudraprayag, one leading to Badrinath and the other to Kedarnath. Helicopter service is available during season from Patta near Rudraprayag to Kedarnath.
DAY 8 - 24th September:
To day, we reached Deo Prayag at 10.30am. This is the confluence point of Alakananda and Bhagirathi and from here the river gets the name Ganga. The bathing ghat on the other side of the river has three levels and we went to the lowest level to have a dip in the river. Water was freezing cold. Since the two rivers join here the water was rather turbulent. We were told during seasons the water raises up to the top most level. After the dip in Ganga we travelled to Rishikesh .
According to legend, sage Raibhya Rishi, undertook staunch penance at this place to please God. In answer to his meditation, God appeared here, manifested as `Rishikesh’ and the place thus came to be called after him.
We visited the Laxman Jhoola and some temples around it. The original jhoola, a suspension bridge made of ropes got destroyed in 1889 and a new one with steel ropes was constructed in 1939 by a business man from Kolkata. This has a span of 140 ft.
Rishikesh has become a center for learning and research in yoga and meditation, the renowned Indian methods for mental and physical health. The International Yoga Festival which attracts participation from all across the world is held here annually for one week in the month of February (2nd to 7th) on the banks of the serene Ganga.
We left Rishikesh for haridwar where we stayed the night.
DAY 9- 25th September:
We left Haridwar at 8 am and reached Nizamuddin at 2.30pm. and took the August Kranti Rajadhani express and reached Mumbai the next morning.
17th September 2008 to 26th September 2008.
Mumbai-NewDelhi-Haridwar-Rishikesh -Dev Prayag-Rudra Prayag- Joshi Math-Badrinath-Maana
DAY 1- 17th September, 2008:
We (a group of three couples) travelled by the Rajdhani Express from Mumbai Central on 17th September, 2008 around 5 pm and reached Nizamuddin station of New Delhi at 10am next day.
DAY 2- 18th September:
We left Delhi immediately in a tempo traveler through heavy morning rush hour traffic and reached Haridwar around 6pm.After a quick freshening up, we left for Har ki pauri (known for a footprint of Vishnu on a stone in a wall )and reached just in time to witness the evening aarti. While the aarti is in progress in the Ganga temple large number of people take a dip in the Ganga, perform pooja .Offerings of lamps and flowers are made to the river immediately following this ceremony and it is a moving sight to watch hundreds of miniature lamps float along the river In the darkness all round. After the aarti, we had darshan of all the temples in the area. The main one is for Ganga. This is supposed to be the place where Ganga landed after the penance of Bhagiratha. In fact here in Haridwar, Ganga reaches the plains. The other temples are of Anjaneya, Kalbhairav, and replicas of Badrinath and Kedarnath.
The other important temple is the Manasadevi temple situated on top of a small hill.
Haridwar is also the site of celebration of the Kumbha Mela, once in twelve years, when Jupiter transits to the zodiac sign of Aquarius.
DAY 3- 19th September:
We left the hotel very early as we had a long drive and reached Joshi math around 5pm. It is about 270 kms, and at an altitude of 1650 M. On the way we crossed Rishikesh, Dev Prayag and Rudra Prayag.
DAY 4- 20th September:
Joshi Math is one of the four great 'maths' established by the Adi Guru Shri Shankaracharya in the 8th century AD.
At Joshi math we visited the Narasimha temple, which is about 1200 years old. Dedicated to Vishnu, the presiding deity of the temple is Narsimha, the half-man, half-lion and fourth incarnation of Vishnu .This is the place where the Badrinath idol is brought and kept during winter months. The temple also had idols of Adi Sankar, Siva and Durga. There is also a tree under which Adi Sankara meditated for 5 years and then established the Sankar Math.
Situated some 30 yards from the Narsimha Temple, the Vasudeva Temple is one of the most famous Vishnu temples in north India. It was considered very sacred by the Tamil vaishnavite saints known as alvars . The presiding deity of the temple is Vasudeva who is identified with Vishnu. The idol is carved out of a piece of black stone measuring 6 feet in height.
From Joshi Math the vehicles wait in a convoy to go to Badrinath. Since the road is very narrow, vehicles from Joshimath are allowed 5 times a day at 6,9,11.30am& 2:30 and 4 pm. Vehicles from Badrinath come during the in between periods. We waited in the queue from 7.30 am, but at 2pm we were told that there was no chance of leaving that day due to heavy land slides on the way. We went back to the same hotel.
After a little rest we visited the Sankara math situated on top of a small hill. Both Dwaraka Mutt and Badri Mutt have the same Sankaracharya. However from Varanasi a Sanyasi is deputed to take care of the Mutt’s affairs when Sankaracharya is away at Dwarka. We met this Sanyasi who is in charge of the Mutt.
From Joshi Math there is a cable car service to Auli, one of the few places in India for skiing and other winter sports.
DAY 5- 21st September:
We left the hotel again by 6.30 am. and joined the queue at the check post. We were allowed to move around 2.30 pm after news came that the land slide has been cleared.
First comes Gobind Ghat from where a road goes to the Valley of flowers and a famous Gurudwara.
After some distance we could see the amount of land slides that had taken place and the efforts Border Road Organisation was taking to clear the mess. It was a stupendous task. In spite of all the machinery at their disposal they were able to clear a small way for one vehicle to pass. There was hill on one side about a hundred feet high from which the slide happened and on the other side a steep fall. The amount of earth to be cleared was enormous.
We reached Vishnu Prayag where a small river Dhauli Ganga joins Alakananda. A 400 MW capacity Hydro electric project is under construction here.
We then reached Pandukeshwar, where all vehicles stop. Here alternately vehicles in each direction are allowed to pass. We had to wait there for nearly 45 minutes.
We reached at Badrinath at around 5 pm. The distance travelled is hardly 45 kms. Badrinath is at an altitude of 3450M and the temperature was around 8 deg.C.
Badrinath is considered to be amongst the most pious of the eternal pilgrimage centres of Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri. Badrinath temple, dedicated to Lord Vishnu said to have been built by Adi Guru Shankaracharya in the early 9th century AD is located on the right bank of river Alaknanda, perched at an altitude of over 3100m in the middle of a valley full with scenic beauty.
The temple does not have an idol of Badrinath as understood commonly. Instead there is a large Saligram with features like carvings. The Saligram was recovered by Adi Sankaracharya from a hot spring near the temple called Tapt Kund. The diety is flanked by Nara, Narayana, Narada, Kuber, Garuda, Uddhava
There is a hot water spring, Tapt Kund, near the temple. It has hot water even when it is freezing cold all around. The spring is said to cure several diseases naturally by taking a dip in it. The other hot water springs in Badrinath are Narad Kund and Surya Kund.
Nar and Narayan Parvats with the Neelkanth peak (6,597m) in the back ground can be seen from the temple.
Since no vehicles could leave Badrinath for two days, lots of people were stranded. This caused a tremendous crowd at the temple. We had to push through them. Some how, we managed to have darshan and came out of the temple.
DAY 6- 22nd September:
Next morning it started drizzling a little. We went to the temple and stood in a queue. Devotees are let in groups of six and can remain inside for a few minutes. Luckily we could get in quickly and had a peaceful darshan. It started raining heavily and we all got wet. We returned to the hotel and after some time left for Maana which is about 3 kms from Badrinath.
Maana( actually Manibhadrapuri) is the last village before the border with Tibet. There is a tea stall which claims to be the last tea stall on Indian soil before the border. This is Kesava Prayag where Saraswathy and Alaknanda join. One can see the difference in colours of the waters of the two rivers. We went up a little hill where there is a huge boulder across Saraswathy, which is called Bhim pul. On the other side there is a cave from which water gushes out. This is said to be River Saraswathy.
There is a temple for Ganesha. It is said that he sat here and wrote the Mahabharat while Veda Vyasa dictated it. Further ahead is a cave called Vyasa Guha in which Ved Vyas is said to have done penance before dictating the Mahabharat. Beyond this is the Draupadi temple, which we did not visit. This is the point where Pandavas while going to the Heavens started falling off one by one.
We had another great darshan leisurely after lunch. We then got tickets for another darshan in the evening and retired to the hotel. We were back at the temple in the evening. This time they allowed about 40 people together and made us all sit just near the garbhagriha. The priests recited Vishnu Sahasranamam. We could sit there for nearly 40 minutes and had a wonderful darshan. Every one was over joyed that in a period of slightly more than a day we could have darshan four times.
DAY 7-23rd September:
First batch of vehicles are permitted to leave Badrinath at 9am. We left Badrinath in the first batch. Due to the time lost at Joshimath we cancelled our halt there and decided to go directly to Rudra Prayag. After Pandukeshwar, there was again some hold up. While we were waiting there we could here blasting of huge boulders which had blocked the road. We could see the smoke coming out of the blasts. Once the road was cleared we left the place. We had lunch at Pipal Kot and reached at Rudra Prayag around 5.30pm.
Rudraprayag is situated on the confluence of the rivers Mandakini and Alaknanda. It is home to the Rudranath Temple that is dedicated to Shiva. Near the temple is the place where Narada, reputed to be the inventor of the veena, a musical instrument, is believed to have meditated.
There is a fork in the road near Rudraprayag, one leading to Badrinath and the other to Kedarnath. Helicopter service is available during season from Patta near Rudraprayag to Kedarnath.
DAY 8 - 24th September:
To day, we reached Deo Prayag at 10.30am. This is the confluence point of Alakananda and Bhagirathi and from here the river gets the name Ganga. The bathing ghat on the other side of the river has three levels and we went to the lowest level to have a dip in the river. Water was freezing cold. Since the two rivers join here the water was rather turbulent. We were told during seasons the water raises up to the top most level. After the dip in Ganga we travelled to Rishikesh .
According to legend, sage Raibhya Rishi, undertook staunch penance at this place to please God. In answer to his meditation, God appeared here, manifested as `Rishikesh’ and the place thus came to be called after him.
We visited the Laxman Jhoola and some temples around it. The original jhoola, a suspension bridge made of ropes got destroyed in 1889 and a new one with steel ropes was constructed in 1939 by a business man from Kolkata. This has a span of 140 ft.
Rishikesh has become a center for learning and research in yoga and meditation, the renowned Indian methods for mental and physical health. The International Yoga Festival which attracts participation from all across the world is held here annually for one week in the month of February (2nd to 7th) on the banks of the serene Ganga.
We left Rishikesh for haridwar where we stayed the night.
DAY 9- 25th September:
We left Haridwar at 8 am and reached Nizamuddin at 2.30pm. and took the August Kranti Rajadhani express and reached Mumbai the next morning.
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