Gaya in Bihar

Phalgu River

Gaya constitutes a city of historical and of mythological significance. It is the second largest city of Bihar and one of the famous tourist attractions.The city has a mix of natural surroundings,age old buildings and narrow bylanes.The banks of Phalgu river are lined with ghats and temples.The Pipal Tree and Akshayavat (the undying banyan tree) are considered to be sacred. It is a place sanctified by the Hindu,Jain and Buddhist religions.

Pinda Daan

Gaya is significant to Hindus from the point of view of salvation for the souls of ancestors.According to Ramayana,Lord Rama had come to Gaya along with Sita for the ritual (pitripaksha or pindadaan).

Parasnath Hill Temple

For Jainism, Gaya is an important place as it has many Jain temples and also it has nearest airport to reach Jain Pilgrimage Pawapuri from where Lord Mahavira attained Moksha. Parasnath Hill,the pilgrim destination located in Gaya,is considered the most sacred for Jain followers. Jain devotees flock in large number every year to Parasnath hill.

Mahabodhi Temple

It is a notable place for Buddhists because it was at Brahmayoni Hill that Lord Buddha preached the Fire Sermon and people became enlightened after listening to his discourse.Over time,the day of enlightenment came to be known as Buddha Purnima.

Ancient History: The history is of the days of enlightment of Gautam Buddha.In Bodh Gaya Mahabodhi Temple,Gautam Buddha attained enlightment under Bodhi Tree.Since then the place around Gaya (Rajgir, Nalanda and Vaishali) has become the citadel of knowledge for the people of the world. Gaya further flourished under the Mauryans Dynasty who ruled from Patliputra (now Patna), During this time Gaya was part of Magadh region.

Modern history:The town of Gaya is the birthplace of renowned nationalist Dr Anugrah Narain Sinha who is Bihar first Deputy Chief Minister cum Finance Minister. The legendary freedom fighter Sahajanand Saraswati established an ashram at Neyamatpur Gaya which became the centre of freedom struggle in Bihar.Yadunandan Sharma became the undisputed leader of peasants in Gaya. The place has also immensely contributed in the Indian Independence Movement.During the independence movement, the All India Session of the Congress was held under the presidency of Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das in 1922, which was attended by great leaders such as Mahatama Gandhi, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Sardar Patel, Maulana Azad and Jawaharlal Nehru.

The Spiritual City "Varanasi"

Varanasi, also known as Benares or Kashi is a North Indian city on the banks of the Ganges in Uttar Pradesh, India. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The spiritual capital of India, it is the holiest of the sacred cities The city's religious importance went to grow when Adi Shankara established the worship of Shiva as an official sect of Varanasi.

Many notable people were born in Varanasi like Kabir and Ravidas. During the 18th century it was further developed by the Maratha and Bhumihar kings. Even Akbar built two large temples dedicated to Shiva and Vishnu. 

Varanasi City

Varanasi has been a cultural centre of North India for several thousand years, and is closely associated with the Ganges. Hindus believe that death in the city will bring salvation, making it a major centre for pilgrimage. The city is known worldwide for its many ghats, embankments made in steps of stone slabs along the river bank where pilgrims perform ritual ablutions. Dashashwamedh Ghat, Manikarnika Ghat, Panchganga Ghat and Harishchandra Ghat are places where Hindus cremate their dead. Yu can see some of the famous ghats here.

Dashashwamedh Ghat

Dashashwamedh is one of the most sacred ghats on the banks of the Ganges. Aarti is performed in this ghat. The air is thick and the glowing aartis are mesmerising to watch. You can witness this spectacular event on a boat in the river.

Assi Ghat

Assi ghat is place of huge crowd during festivals as devotees come to take holy bath in the Ganga river to get rid of all their past sins.

It is said that there are around 23,000 temples in Varanasi, the temples most popular for worship are: Kashi Vishwanath Temple of Shiva, Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple and the Durga Mandir Temple.

The Kashi Vishwanath Temple on the Ganges is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga Shiva temples in Varanasi. The Gyanvapi Mosque adjacent to the temple is the original site of the temple. It was built in 1780 by Queen Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore. The two pinnacles of the temple are covered in gold and were donated in 1839 by Ranjit Singh, the ruler of Punjab. The dome receives gold plating through a proposed initiative of the Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs of Uttar Pradesh. Numerous rituals, prayers, and aartis are held daily at the temple.

Kashi Vishwanath Temple

The Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple which is situated near Asi River is one of the sacred temples of the Hindu god Hanuman. The temple was built in the early 1900s by the educationist and Indian independence figure, Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya, the founder of Banaras Hindu University. According to Hindu legend the temple was built on the very spot where the medieval Hindu saint Tulsidas had a vision of Hanuman.

Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple

Durga Mandir got constructed in 18th century by Bengali Maharani for the worship of Goddess Durga. The temple was built in North Indian Nagara style of architecture. The temple is painted red with ochre to match the colours of the central icon of Durga, the goddess of strength and power. Lots of elaborately carved and engraved stones can be found inside the temple.

Durga Mandir Temple

A sneak into the Belur Math Temple

Belur Math is a pilgrimage place which is sprawling over forty acres of land on the western bank of the Hooghly in Howrah district, an hour's drive from the City of Joy "Kolkata"

The Belur Math

This temple was founded by Swami Vivekananda. It is one of the significant institutions of Kolkata and is notable for its architecture that fuses Hindu,Christian and Islamic motifs as a symbol of unity among all religions.It is believed that it was at Belur Math that Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902) lived the last years of his life. He consecrated the grounds by worshipping the urn containing the sacred relics of Sri Ramakrishna. He uttered these prophetic words about Belur Math, "The blazing light of universal harmony that will emanate from here will flood the entire world". This monastry was also meant to train young men who wud eventually become "Sanyasis" of the Ramakrishna Mission.

The entrance gate of Belur Math has symbols of religions

The 40 acre campus of the Belur Math on the Banks of Ganga includes temples dedicated to

Ramakrishna, Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda in which their relics are enshrined.The campus also houses a Museum containing articles connected with the history of Ramakrishna Mission. Several educational institutes affiliated with Ramakrishna Mission are situated adjacent to Belur Math.It is considered prime tourist spot near Kolkata and place of pilgrimage by devotees. Abdul Kalam regarded it, "as a place of heritage and of immense national importance". Belur Math has become the hub of a worldwide spiritual movement also known as the Ramakrishna Movement.

Belur Math Temple

Activities: The Belur Math conducts medical service, education, women work, rural upliftment among the labouring and backward classes. It also conducts spiritual and cultural activities. The center also celebrates annual birthdays of Ramakrishna, Vivekananda and Sarada Devi. The annual celebrations of Kumari Puja and Durga Puja are one of the major attractions too. The tradition of Kumari Puja was started by Vivekananda in 1901.

Celebration of Durga Puja

Now watch a fantastic documentary on Belur Math Temple to know it in detail!!

A visit to Vaishno Devi Mandir

 Vaishno Devi Mandir

Vaishno Devi also known as Mata Rani, Trikuta and Vaishnavi is a manifestation of Hindu Mother Goddess Mahalakshmi. It is Hindu Temple dedicated to all Hindu Goddess, located at Trikuta Mountains within Indian State of Jammu.

The History of Vaishno Devi is enriched with its traditions and holiness. The place is believed to possess eternal energy through which Goddess is kept safe. There are stone remains of human hands inside the holy cave of Shri Mata Vaishno Deviji which are famously called Varad Hast, hands granting blessings to devotees. There is even a myth that Mata Sati Arm had fallen at this place. Evidences show a possiblity of Mata Sati Skull too.

Worship of Vaishno Devi: It is assumed that Maa Vaishno Devi grants strength to the weak, sight to the blind, wealth to the poor and bless childless couple with children. Devi Maa is also benevolent to fulfill her devotee's wishes. This is why followers make it a point to visit temple regularly, in spite of the temple being quite unapproachable,location wise. People believe that Navaratri is considered the best season time to visit the temple as it tends to become inaccessible during winters and monsoons.

People worshipping Vaishno Devi

How to reach Vaishno Devi: Today, there are various ways in which a devotee can reach the holy place of Vaishno Devi. The nearest railway station and airport are situated at Jammu. The place is linked to the base camp at Katra via a track that is 13 km long. People can reach the Katra Station as well and then visit Vaishno Devi Mandir. In order to undertake the uphill journey one can either travel by foot, or by hiring ponies and palkhies. The Vaishno Devi Board has also commenced Taxi and Helicopter Services between Jammu and Katra in order to facilitate devotees. These services are subject to weather conditions in that area.

Now I would like to tell yu about other temples located near Vaishno Mandir. They are equally religious and prestigious. Hope yu would visit them as well while visting Vaishno Mandir next time.

Other Temples near Vaishnodevi 

1) One can find numerous ancient temples and sightseeing points. On the 13 KM stretch between Katra and Temple there is Banganga which is 1 KM away from Katra. Here one can take a holy dip in the rivulet and also avail Langer(free food) service there..now isn't it interesting. 

2) The Charanpaduka Temple is about 2.5 KM away from Banganga. It is believed that Goddess rested for a while here before travelling Trikuta Hills. This place is so named since it contains footprints of deity.

3) The next stop is Sanjichat which is about 4 KM from Adkuwari. This is the highest point in the long winding track from where travelers can get a nice aerial view of Katra, Udhampur, Reasi and Jammu.

 4) Then devotes can proceed to Bhairon Nath Temple which lies at a short distance on a line track of the Vaishno Temple-Sanjichat track. This track further leads to dense forest which is inhabited by several monkeys, wild animals and birds. Monkeys are found near Bhairon Nath Mandir as well.