Navrang India

Winds and gossips:

Jantoo Cartoons

Clipart Of

"Breezes and winds never fail to keep the trees busy. Nature gives them strength to resist them.
So, are the rumors and gossips in our lives. God has given us common sense to let them pass through from one ear to the other".

CartoonStock

Easy-money:


Rediff.com

impleadment.blogspot.com

"Ill-gotten money never stays with a person long enough.
And it will disappear as fast as it came to him".

Integrity:

Webdesigner Depot

Jantoo Cartoons

"The world belongs to those who make a
compromise on merit by using their discretionary powers"

Finishing the race:

CartoonStock

"Even if not victorious, it would be nice to finish the race last".

Blatant lie:

CartoonStock

"One blatant lie is good enough to give one hundred agonizing moments".


The largest river island Majuli ,Assam India Today

Majuli, the largest fresh water islandYouTube

Majuli, the largest fresh water island in the world, is located in the middle of the mighty Brahmaputra river just 20 km away from the Cultural Capital of Assam - Jorhat. Now the entire island has been declared a district. This island district can be reached only by ferries from towns like Jorhat. It is a seat of Neo-Vaishnavite culture, unique to this island. Dry months do not spell danger to the people here, however, the wet months are difficult to pass through. Though they bring in plenty of rain, it is wrought with dangers due to major flooding.

Naturally formed with a serene ambiance in the bosom of the mighty Brahmaputra and quietly lying far away from the hustle and bustle of city life and urban madness in between the two rivers of Subansiri and Kherketia in Upper Assam, Majuli is simply awe-inspiring, a paradise for those who would like to meditate and go into a trance, leaving behind them the dull, mundane life.

The following are other interesting facts about this vast highly fertile river inland:

www.majuli.org

01. The vast island, formed by the river Brahmaputra and its tributaries, is subject itself to shaping and reshaping (Geomorphological process of denudation and deposition) with each major flood; eroded land mass is transported and redeposited as sediments elsewhere downstream.

02. Massive flooding in 1750 was the main cause of the formation of this huge island in the middle of bigm river. This serene island, not yet polluted, supports unique bio-diversity system and is home to numerous exotic birds, including migratory birds.

03. Among the 248 villages on the island, 166 are facing threats due to flooding. A couple of thousand families are living on the embankments and their homes are prone to destruction during major floods. The total area of 875 sq. km in midstream of the delta system is a nature's wonder.

04. Since 2001, according to the media report, 3,000 plus families have lost their land to erosion and safely relocated elsewhere. Embankments are still home to more than 2,000 families.

young women on the Majuli Isle, Assam. www.bordoisila.in

05. There are neither major educational institutions nor employment opportunities on this island.

06. In September 2016, the island was declared the largest river island by the Guinness Book of World Records toppling Marajo in Brazil. The government has a proposal to lay concrete roads covering many areas and improve other facilities on the island.

07. The government has recently allocated Rs.1200.00 crore to preserve and improve amenities in the island of Majuli. This includes a cultural university and a post-graduate college.

08. The union government has a proposal to build a 121-km long national highway connecting Majuli with two major towns — Jorhat and Lakhimpur. This will bring in lots of tourists from India and abroad as this place is rich in fauna and flora. Yet another attractions are the festivals, art, culture and spirituality.

09. People here follow the teachings of saint Srimanta Sankardeva who propagated the Neo - Vaishnava tradition; it is a variation of Vaisnavism.

10. The island is inhabited by Mising tribes, Deori and Sonowal Kachri tribes and they speak Mising, Assamese and Deori language.

11. Because of massive erosion, the number of ‘Satras’- Vasihnavite monasteries came down from 65 to 32.

RailYatri blog

12. In the last three or four decades one third of the island is lost due to flooding. Steps are underway to dredge the Brahmaputra and its tributaries and remove silt deposit which in turn would control flood and erosion.

Majuli Island, rare stork birds.Times of India

Majuli Island, Assam. Thrillophilia

13. Connectivity with the outside world -ie. the arrival of more tourists should not affect the pristine purity and the cultural sanctity of this place. The people are very particular about safeguarding the unadulterated Majuli’s culture and spirituality.

Ref:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Majuli

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/seeking-a-permanent-address-in-majuli-world-s-largest-river-island/story-CzCtxHueKe68RCYQxHbRuM.html

Even today, clock towers in cities and towns never fail to attract our attention and they have become curios for the younger generations. Be they small or big, they still stand majestically as the sentinels of the past era of colonial glory. In India, during the British rule there were a large number of majestic clock towers built in public places for the convenience of common who could not afford a watch. Invariably most of the clock towers were built by the local rulers or a leader in memory of a visiting English higher-up to that place. Building towers with a clock on it served dual purposes - to help local dwellers to know the time and to please the English official to get his favours. In those days for outside use, the rich and upper middle class people carried a pocket watch to know the time before the advent of wrist watch.

There is an old clock at the busy Gandhi Gate in Amritsar, in Punjab. Also called Hall Gate, before Independence, the clock was first installed in 1876 - about 19 years after the famous mutiny of 1857 but the clock became defunct and was not yet fixed by the local

Gandhi gate clock, Amritsar, Punjab Mapio.net

Hall bazaar -Gandhi gate clock, Amritsar, Punjab.Hindustan Times

municipal corporation. One C.H. Hall was the then deputy commissioner and the gate which is on the way to Walled City and Golden temple, was named after him and the clock was designed by John Gordon, the then executive engineer in Amritsar. Considering its proximity to the important places in this city, the colonial clock is not functioning and it clearly shows how the authorities are quite careless about not repairing a simple time machine of colonial legacy.

Clipart Of

123RF.com

In 2008, the color of the historical Hall gate was changed from red to pink and then to yellow. It
was a big shock for the heritage freaks because the odd and outlandish color combination showed lack of aesthetics and knowledge of preservation of historical sites without losing their heritage values.

All it needs is a simple initiative from like-minded people interested in the preservation of our old monuments, heritage and antiques that have hoary history.

Hall bazaar, where the Gandhi gate is located, is just 1 km from the railway station.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/punjab/ht-spotlight-clock-towers-stuck-in-time/story-1R5bOenI7v34FSqTTdqKEK.html

Thrikkadavoor Temple Kerala Culture

Thrikkadavoor is a small town, located approximately 5 kilometres north of Kollam city centre and 30 kilometres away from Paravur, Kerala. Thrikkadavoor Mahadev temple is a popular one and is being daily visited by lots of devotees, in particular, people above 50 years of age with a wish for better longevity from the presiding deity. This most famous Shiva Temple in Kollam District is situated on the banks of the Ashtamudi lake.

Thrikkadavoor Temple YouTube

Legend has it that Mrikandu rishi and his wife Marudmati prayed to God Shive to bless them with a child. Lord Shiva granted their wish but on one condition that they would get either a gifted, intelligent son, but with a short life on earth or a dull child with poor intellence but with long logevity. Mrikandu rishi gave preference to intelligent child to dull child. That child became known as Markandeya, an exceptionally smart and brilliant son, but, unfortunatelt he was destined to die at the age of 12.

Markandeya, being god-fearing and ardent devotee of Lord Shiva grew up to be a patron of Shiva. On the day he was destained to die, Markandaya worshipped Lord Shiva in his Linga form (Shiva in his aniconic form) more vigorously than ever before. The god of death Yama sent his men to put out the life of Markandaya. Yama's men were at their wit's end because of Markandaya's intense devotion and prayer with dedication sttod in their way. Further, he was close to the Shivalingam. Upon seeing his men's inablity to cause death to Markandaya, God of death Yama himself came to eath to try his luck. No sooner had he seen the young devotee than Yama had thrown his weapon - death rope with a noose

Lord Shiva, young Markandayaa and Yama. BAPS Kids - BAPS.org

(in TamilPaasakkayar) around him to take away his life. Unexpectedly, the death rope with the noose landed around the Shivalingam. Without knowing this, Yama tried to pull the rope. At that instant emerged out of the Shivalinga was the god himself. Enraged Shiva punished Yama for his misconduct and arrogant aggression. After Yama's submission, Shiva told him that Markandaya would live for ever. - a life of immortality.

Location map. en.wikipedia.org/

For this act, Shiva was thereafter known also as Kalantaka ("Ender of Death"). This divine act is believed to have taken place in Thirukkadavoor People who are afraid of death are advised to chant Maha Mrityunjaya Stotra frequently so that they will be relived of the fear of death (Marana Bhayam) There is a metal inscription mentioning the battle between Yama and Shiva and how he obtained immortality for Markandaya. Thrikkadavoor is the place, according to the mythology. where Markandaya got immortality through the blessings of Loed Shiva.

The temple has a golden flag staff and wide court yard. 10 days festival in Kumbhom - Thiruvathira Aaratu. 101 Kudam (pot) Kalasam, Chathussatham are popular. The annual Srattu festival falls in the month of Kumbham (February/March).

The annual ten-day festival is a splendid one and is attended by people in thousands. The popular Thiruvathira festival and the resplendent kettukazha add charm and splendor to thisgreat temple event.
It is a major attraction for the tourists. The eight artificial horses, which represent the eight areas (karas) around the temple, is an interesting one. Nedumkuthira (Eduppukuthira- men carrying vertical horse-chariot) procession through water is equally an interesting one.

Tit-Bits:

Amritaghateswarar Abhirami Temple, located in Thirukkadaiyur (Thirukadavur), 21 km East of Mayiladuthurai, Tamil Nadu is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva in his manifestation as "Destroyer of Death" and his wife Parvati as Abhirami. This temple is closely associated with the legend of Shiva saving his young devotee, Markendeya from death, and the tale of a saint, Abirami Pattar a devotee of the presiding goddess.

The presiding deity is revered in the 7th century Tamil Saiva canonical work, the Tevaram, written by Tamil saint poets known as the nayanars and classified as Paadal Petra Sthalam. Lots of couples who have completed 60 years of age come here and conduct speecial prayers for good heath and welfare.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thrikkadavoor

Times of India - Indiatimes.com

No matter what kind of profession we pursue, proper decision making, commitments, and discretion together play a key role in our success. Besides, we must train our mind to get not swayed this way or that way when we pursue our goal and facing rough weather. The following example is worth considering:

At a crowded seminar presumably on the introduction of new currency notes (bills) in the wake of demonitization introduced by the Central government in November 2015,

Scoil Pól

a speaker was holding a new Rs. 500.00 bill and told the audience that one would get it. Countless people in the audience wanted to have the new Rs.500.00 note. The speaker now crumpled the Rs. 500.00 note and asked the audience, Who wants this crumpled note? Lots of people raised their hands and did not care about the appearance. This time, the speaker went a little bit farther; now he put the note on the floor and smeared it with soil and made it look shabby. He then said,"This note is crumpled and dirty. Do you still want it?" Up went countless hands. unmindful of the shabby look of the note.

Pinterest

Now, the smart speaker said,"My friends, I have just showed you a very important lession No matter what I did to the note, still you wanted it because you knew well that it did not decrease in its value. Many a time in our lives, life crumples us and grinds us into the dirt. We make bad decisions or deal with poor circumstances. We feel worthless. No matter what has happened or what will happen to your undertaking, you will never lose your value.because are special and don't ever forget it".

Tit-Bits:

Indian demonitization , Nov. 2015. Quora

01. PM Modi announced that currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 denominations will not be legal tender from midnight. Both these bill be useless.

02. The government has decided to induct new currency notes for the same denominations with extra security features.


Strange stick-up. www.500and2000notes.in/

03. The smart and quick move aims at curbing rampant corruption and tackling black money issues. It will be a great blow to the hoarders of black money, in particular, certain politicians who consider "Politics" a money-spinning business.

Ref:

Sri Sarada Yagna Prasadam, vol. 09; issue 05: May 2017.

SlideShare

Be they humans or animals, mind plays a primary role in their behavior. Particularly, in the case of certain wild animals, conditioning their mind is part of training the animals undergo. Once trained, the animal follows a patterned behavior already set in their mind. The following example will be of interest to you.

Elephant and the rope. Twitter

Once a curious man went past an elephant that was tied to the tree with a rope. Upon seeing the rope that was preventing a huge animal from moving out, he became cofused and stuck to the view that in the absence of strong chains or a cage, the elephant could , at any time, break the rope and go free. But, for unknown reasons, the elephant stood in the same place and never tried to take a flight to freedom. Why?

www.tjisedu.in/blogs

Being inquisitive, he saw the Mahout/trainer standing near-by and asked him , What made the elephant stand in the same place and why is it not trying to escape? The trainer said, "When the elephants were young and small, we used the same rope to tie them at that point of time and age and it was good enough for them to keep them safely in the same place, when undergoing proper training. As they grow up, they have been conditioned to such an extent that they believe that they can not break away once firmly tied up with a pole or stake. Now this particular elephant believes the rope still holds it so, it can not not try to break free".

Now the man understtod the mind power. The big animal can break the rope and free himself in a jiff, but still it stands in the same place, in the belief he can not break it.

Moral: Elephants can very easily lift a load weighing one ton kg. At the circus and in the Hindu temples, you can see an elephant standing quietly, then and there entertaining the people while being tied with a rope to a piller or wooden stake. On account of his prolonged training (mental conditioning), no matter how strong and how big he has grown, he still feels that he can not break the chain or rope and move the stake and escape.

Like this unfortunate elephant, how many of us go through this mental ordeal and agony and believe that we can not achive our goal because we failed miserably earlier. This mental block, once set in, will keep us on hold and we will be stuck where we are. We should not let this mental block creep into our mind. Just remember what has happened to the elephant who can not move far beyond the extent of his mind set.

everydayencouragement.org

So, never ever give up your struggle to reach your goal or destination. Failure is part of learning. A young baby makes countless attempts before standing upright firmly on his feet. He does not care about the peeople around him. Nor do the repeated falls discourage him. So, don't be like an elephant tied with a rope. Resolve to uproot the mental block that holds you back and get out of your self-imposed mental restrictions. Every cloud has a silver lining.

"Look! I’m making everything new.
Write it all down—each word dependable and accurate.”
........ Revelation 21:5(MSG)

Ref:

http://www.tjisedu.in/blogs

Sri Sarada Yagna Prasadam, vol. 09,issue 05: May 2017.

Vanchinathan. tamilhindu.com.

ilavaluthy - Quora

Patriotic people of India, in particular, Tamil Nadu can never forget those freedom fighters who sacrificed their lives to get India freed from the British yoke. The southern districts of Tamil Nadu produced a galaxy of freedom fighters who were never cowed down by the intimidating and oppressive tactics employed by the British rulers - the East India company in the early stages and in the 19th century by the rulers under the direct administration of the British Government, London. Among the freedom fighters such as Veerapandya Kattabomman, V.O.Chidambaram, Bharathiyar and others, young Vanchinathan daringly did what other freedom fighters never thought of doing it, because they followed the preachings of Gandhiji. But, on the other hand, Vanchi and his associates followed a different path. - violence. Their intention was to arouse the consciousness of people and this would pave the path for the British to exit India soon. On the contrary, the British became more resolute than ever before to stay on the Indian soil.

Vanchinathan memorial. thehindu.com/

Yesterday (17 June 2017) officials, media and people paid rich tributes to Vanchinathan at Shenkottai (Shencottah), his birth place. On that day, Vanchi killed the then Tirunelveli Collector Robert William d'Escourt Ashe (commonly known as Collector Ashe) at Maniachi Railway junction (now in Thoothukudi district). Ashe was waiting at the junction with his wife Mary Lillian Patterson and four children. He and his family were to take the Indo-Ceylon Boat Mail and get off at Kodaikanal Road station on the way to the hill resort Kodaikanal. At 10.45 am Vanchi got into Ashe's first class coach, standing on the side track (to be attached with the Boat Mail) along with one Madasamy, his accomplice and shot the Collector dead. Later, he killed himself, to avoid arrest, imprisonment and the pain of going to the gallows and getting killed in the hands of the British.

An organization called Vanchi Iyakkam and the local school children garlanded the statue of Vanchi. In memory of him the Municipality siren was sounded at 10.45 am, the time (106th annuarsery of the killing of the collector) at which Vanchi shot at Collector Ashe and killed him. Around 11-30 a.m., the Collector died of internal hemorrhage.Across India and the world, it became a sensational scoop for
the media.In a detailed investigative report published by the Crime Branch - Criminal Investigation Department (CB-CID) released in 2011,it is stated

Bust of Veera Vanchinathan, Shencottah. Alchetron

that Vanchinathan and other revolutionaries were unhappy with the way Collector Ashe handled the political affairs of the district vis-a-vis freedom fighters. The collector and District Magistrate Robert Ashe sided with the British Shipping company - A & F Harvey and Co that ran the ferry services between Toothukudi and Ceylon and was instrumental in making the Harvey Co's competitor Swadeshi
Steam Navigation Company, founded by lawyer V. O.Chidambaram in 1906 go bankrupt. In 1908, the arrest of V.O. Chidambaram Pillai, popularly known as VOC, and Subramania Siva, had an impact on Vanchi and other patriots who decided to kill Ashe at the right time to avenge his harsh action against VOC and others.

On 23 December 2013 the late Chief Minister Jayalalithaa declared open the Vanchinathan memorial in Shencottah, his birth place,
(then part of composite Tirunelveli district, Madras Presidency). The total cost of the memorial was around Rs. 50 lakh and the building includes a bust of the martyr.

Ref:

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/jayalalithaa-opens-vanchinathan-memorial-in-shencottah/article5494457.ece

http://news.webindia123.com/news/articles/india/20150617/2619714.html

http://navrangindia.blogspot.in/2015/10/vanchinathan-who-shot-dead-collector.html

100 piollar mantpam,new flooring discovered.travel.squibs.org

In September 2014, an accidental discovery of a part of flooring of a huge mantapam (hall) was made at the world famous Sri Ranganather (lord Vishnu) temple of Srirangam. The temple is the largest functional temple in the world and has a total of 53 shrines and is located in an island formed by the rivers Cauvery and Kollidam (Coleroon). When the temple officials were in the process of shifting the ‘prasadam stall’ from Surya Pushkarni area to the old annadhana koodam they stumbled upon a lower flooring in the 100-pillar mandapam. A massive work was on inside the temple as part of renovation work. This temple's Samrokshanam (Maha Kumbabishekam) was to take place later. Devotees visiting the Dhanvantri temple in the Sri Ranganather temple complex would never miss the 100-pillar mandapam that seemed to have sand flooring. In reality, the mandapam's actual floor was several feet beneath it. The half sand-submerged 100 pillar hall - "Noothukku Kaal Mandapam"has a shrine dedicated to Theerthakarai Vasudeva Perumal. It is said the part of the mantapam was filled with sand to make the flooring even and confortable for the visitors to reach the Danvanthri shrine.

Srirangam Ranganathar temple. Tamilnadu Tourism - blogger

The 100-pillar mandapam was behind the Prasadam stall that occuped a small area. However, the materials needed for cooking in the Madappalli (temple Kitchen) such as piles of firewood, etc had been kept behind the hall which was not visible at once. The mantapam is being supported by 100 ornate stone pillars, covering a total area of about 11,900 square feet, according to the temple officials.

The pillars are about 12 feet tall. After the new discovery, it was never thought that the tall pillars would go farther deep under.

Tiruchirapalli .location map.
Maps of India

Now, the mantapam is repaired and given a face-lift. The temple officials say that the mandapam will be used during Sri Krishna Jayanthi when Namperumal (Vishnu) is brought from the Garbagraha - sanctum sanctorum. The old practice that had been not continued for the past three decades, will be restored from the forthcoming Sri Krishna Jayanthi festival.

Ref:

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Tiruchirapalli/100-pillar-mandapam-found-in-srirangam-temple/article18447367.ece

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/trichy/100-pillar-mandapam-found-in-Trichy/articleshow/43127208.cms


Chengannur mahadeva temple. Kerala www.youtube.com

Chengannur temple. Wikimapia

Menstrual taboos have been around us for a long time. Hindu women during their "period" normally avoid going to temples. Many Hindu temples except some in Kerala do not allow women to conduct pujas in the sanctum and other shrines of sanctity. The strong belief is mensuration of women is impure and they are unfit for any temple rituals, etc., associated with divinity. As for certain restrictions, women's entry into the Garbagraha of Hindu temples, some people's belief is far from being negative and they never attach the tag of "taboo" to it. To them mensuration is a natural, sacred biological process, essential for the development of humanity.

Have you ever heard of a menstruating goddess in the state of Kerala? It may sound weird, but it is true. The Mahadev- Bhagavathy temple located in a small town Chengannur is unique and is about 40 km away from the town of Kottayam in Kerala. The temple, believed to have been built by the famous Uliyannoor Perumthachan over 1,500 years ago, is one of the the most popular Bhagavathy templesof Kerala.

Some facts of Chengannur Bhagavathy Amman:

01. In this temple Lord Mahadeva faces east and the Goddess Bhagawathy, the main deity is facing west There is also a temple of Vishnu in Chengannur. Nammazhawar, a great Tamil Vaishnava saint visited this temple and sang in praise of Perumal. It is believed that Yudhishtra built the first temple of Lord Vishnu to get rid of his sin of having lied in the battle field.

02. With respect to mensuration of goddess, it all began when the melsanthi (the chief priest) opened the shrine of the Goddess in the morning to change the flowers, he was surprised to find that the cloth the Goddess was wearing had a stain. This stained cloth was shown to the women of Vanchi Puzhathu Madam as well as the land lady of the house of Thazhaman pothy. Both of them confirmed what would have been an unexpected and un-heard of event before that Goddess was undergoing periods as ordinary women would experience every month. On the advice of Thazhaman Pothy, the idol was moved over to a separate temple and the door was closed for three days.

03. The daily puja ritual continued in the northern part of temple in the absence of main deity.

04. The chief priest asked his wife and the elderly woman of Vanchi Puzhathu Madam to keep the Goddess company during the night.

05. This strange tradition has continued for several generations and the women of these houses keep company to the Goddess during the time of her periods.

06. In the early stages, the incidence of mensuration occurred regularly every month for some time.

07. Nowadays, it is said, that the goddess experiences mensuration three to four times a year.

08. The cloth that the goddess wears during this time (Thiru poothu) is given much importance and is considered to be a prized possession.

09. The cloth is an object of veneration and is being worshipped in many homes.

10. On completion of the 4th day after the period, a simple ritual is followed. The idol of the goddess is taken on a female elephant for her ceremonial bath in the near-by Mithra river, to the accompaniment of playing of traditional musical instruments.The idol is given an oil bath by the Namboodiri women and then it is mounted on top of the elephant . The idol atop the elephant is received with Nira Para. After the ritual bath, the priest does traditional puja like Abhishekam with oil, milk, etc. Once it is over, the idol is brought back to the temple.

Searchi

11. Varshikotsavam is a 28 day long festival at Chengannur temple which begins on the asterism Thiruvathira of Dhanu masam (mid December-mid January) and ends on Thiruvathira of Makaram masam (mid January-mid February). Special rituals are performed during these days.The Arattu (ritual dip in the river) is on Thiruvadira day. Besides, Shivaratri Festival (February - March) and Chitra Pournami (April - May) are also celebrated here with much religious fervor.

12. Once British officer Gov. Thomas Munro stopped sending funds to this temple upon hearing that the presiding goddess was experiencing monthly period. He was furious and considered it "non-sense". Soon, his beloved wife had menstrual problem and the bleeding never stopped. English medication was of no avail. On the advice of some people close to him, he released the funds to the temple. Amazingly, soon his wife 's health improved and the bleeding stopped. Grateful Munro went ahead and donated two gold bangles to the deity, besides forming a trust to observe the celebration of the Thirupoothu (periods) of the Goddess.

Dr. Antonio Da Silva High School , Mumbai, Justdial

Because of colonial rule before 1947, India has lots of old English medium schools across the land. . Invariably, most of them were started by Christian fathers and Jesuits to impart western education in a traditional Indian atmosphere. Bombay (Mumbai) was once the capital of Bombay Presidency founded by the East India Company. With the arrival of more Europeans and missionaries, across India lots of schools sprang up. Bombay was not an exception.

drantoniodasilva.com

Dr. Antonio Da Silva High School (A.D.H.S) and Jr. College of Commerce (A.D.H.S.J.C.C) (commonly known as A.D.H.S.) is a popular institution in Maharastra. Located in Dadar, Mumbai, India, it is a semi-private Government, Boys, day school and was founded in 1851 by Dr Antonio Da Silva and Rev. John Braz Fernandees under the name St. Johna high school. In 1875, Da Silva set aside his big estate for the school development and expansion.

The school not only has a hoary past but also has continued to have its own tradition and academic excellence. The school offers classes from kindergarten up to class 12. The medium of instruction being English, the school has a strength of roughly 6,000 pupils between the age of 3 to 18.

The school (Shivaji Park) has a technical curriculam and it was started from Standard VII in June 1963. In June 1971,it became a full-fledged independent Technical High School. In 1975 came up the Junior College of both the Commerce and Technical schools, offering courses in sciences, vocational courses like electrical related training, scooter repairs. mechanical maintenance, etc.

Dr. Antonio Da Silva High School, Mumbai Justdial

The school prepares students for the Secondary School Certificate Examination (with technical subjects) and Higher Secondary Certificate (with science / vocational science subjects) of the Maharashtra State Board. The school follows the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (SSC) & (HSC) syllabus. Marathi, Hindi and French are taught as second languages. English, Marathi and Hindi are taught from class 1 to class 12. The school offers field trips, camps and social service visits to get the students acqauinted with the outside world. Extra-curricular activities include various club activities such as
the Nature Club, Interact Club, Science Club, Scouts and Guides, etc.

The school buildings include the office heritage block, heritage block, center block, sorts complex and play grounds. The school offers indoor and outdoor games to the students. The school and college are Roman Catholic institutions and are being managed by the Society of Jesus with a governing body. The school has an excellent libraary facility, containing more than 20,000 books for the use of students.

The school follows House System and the purpose is to develop collective responsibility and solidarity among students. The four houses compete in various fields and each house is led by a captain . The houses also coordinate with each other on matters related to education, sports, social activities, etc.This develops tolerance and comity among the members

Tit-bits:

01. A bomb exploded outside the school on 3 July 2011 at 19:06 IST. It was believed to be the third explosive device of the 2011 Mumbai bombings set by a group of religious terrorists. In its wake scores of people lost their lives. The device was planted on an electric utility pole near the school at the bus stand close to Kabutar Khana. About 50 people were injured in the blast. Had the bomb had exploded five minutes earlier, thousands of students might have been injured. It was God's miracle, none from the school was injured.

02. The Alumni of this school include Indian politicians, business men and government officials and they are referred to as Antonians.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Antonio_Da_Silva_High_School_and_Junior_College_of_Commerce

Among the temple chariot festivals of India, the most spectacular and popular one is the annual Puri Jagannath Rath Yara. Also known as Rathjatra or Chariot festival, this colourful rath yatra is celebrated every year in the month of June or July with religious fervour and is attended by a massive crowds hailing from different parts of India. The venue of this festival is temple town Puri, Odisha. Traditionally, this rath yathra is believed to be the oldest of its kind and it marks the return of Lord Krishna to Vrindavan with his brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra.


festivalsdatetime.co.in

Puri Jagannath Rath Yatra, 2017 indianexpress.com

The rath yatra is a long procession / journey of three deities in three different chariots accompanied by the thousands of devotees; Lord Jagannath, his brother Lord Balabhadra and their sister Devi Subhadra riding three giant wooden chariots which are pulled by devotees on the Bada Danda (3 km stretch - Grand Road) as they travel to Gundicha temple where the procession ends. Here, the deities stay for nine long days and there will be daily pujas and rituals. After the nine-day stay, they ride the chariots with the deities back to Shri Mandir. This year, the festival was held on June 25 and the return car festival or Bahuda Jatra took place on July 3 (the festival is normally celebrated on the 2nd day of the Shukla Paksha, Ashadh month according to the traditional Oriya Calendar).

Deities Jagannath, Balabadra and Devi Subadra. Ganesha Speaks

Taking into account the “body to be the chariot” and “the soul of the deity to be instilled inside it”, the concept of chariot festival is expounded in Kathopanishad in Sanskrit as:

'Atmanam rathinam viddhi sareeram rathamevatu,
Buddhim tu saarathim viddhi marah pragrahameva cha!"

The 'pahandi' (The journey of the deities to the world outside, starts with an elaborate royal ritual called Pahandi - literally, going forward in a step by step movement to the accompaniment of several devotees beating the ghanta, kahali and telingi baja) of the deities began around 10.30 am, when the three gods along with Lord Sudarsana were taken out in a procession to their respective chariots kept in front of the temple as the entire street - Bada Danda celebrated it with the sounds of ghanta (cymbals), kahali (type of flute), mahuri (a double reeded instrument), pakhauja (a variant of south Indian mridangam), mardal (similar to pakhawaj) and bells.. It was a joyous event marked by devotion and bakthi. The three wooden chariots are made afresh annually and dismantled after the rath yathra.

Once the the deities were placed on their respective chariots, Puri King Gajapati Divyasingh Dev performed the traditional 'chhera panhara'. The king was supposed to sweep the path in front of the deities, a humble service to the lords of the universe. The Puri king himself is the servant of God Jagannath. Then the pulling of chariots began and from here it was a three kilometer long arduous, but colorful journey to Gundicha temple.

Tit-bits:
chhera panhara is the second phase of the rath yathra in which the Raja, King of Puri, Gajapati Divya Singha Deva is informed of the deities having taken their respecive places on the chariots through a messenger specially deputed by the temple officials. Then the young, King, ceremoniously dressed is taken in a silver plated palanquin from his palace and he comes in a small procession on Bada Danda led by a caparisoned elephant. He climbs the chariots one by one. and offers his prayers to the deity. He then cleans the platforms with a golden broom, sprinkling flowers and fragrant water on the surface of the chariot.

Ref:

https://www.indianholiday.com/fairs-and-festivals/orissa/jagannath-rath-yatra.html

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/preparations-for-rath-yatra-in-full-swing/article19120202.ece

Indianexpress.com/article/lifestynd-culture/rath-yatra-2017-significance-history-and-celebrations-4716452/

Konark, a town in the Puri district of the state of Odisha, India is a favourite tourist destination. It lies on the coast by the Bay of Bengal, 65 kilo meters from the state capital Bhubaneswar. The Sun
temple was built at the mouth of the Chandrabhaga River in the 13th-century during the reign of Narasimhadeva-I. Also known as the Black Pagoda, because it was built using black granite stones, the Sun temple is a World Heritage Site.

Konark Sun Temple dedicated to the sun god Surya is as famous for the erotic sculptures of countless couples making love in various postures as for the "time wheels" carved out of stones. Beautiful small erotic figures carved on the walls and roof of the temple and the wheels of time attract tourists to this historical temple site from all over the world. The temple is partly damaged and weathered because of vagaries of weather and its proximity to the sea shore.

One Nation One People One Law - blogger

This unique temple that unashamedly depict the man-woman relationship as part of life, is designed as a chariot for the Sun God. We have come across countless pictures in which the sun god is seen riding a chariot driven by seven beautiful muscular horses or one sturdy horse with seven heads.

SunTemple, Konark time wheel www.thekonark.in

Besides the main attraction of the temple - small stone images of amorous couples and women, the 12 pairs of richly adorned wheels located at the base of the temple never fail to grab the attention of the visitors. What is so special about these huge ornate time wheels? They tell us the time of the day. The spokes of the wheels make the sundial and each one of them having 8 wider spokes and 8 thinner spokes. Out of these 24 wheels, 6 are on either side of the main temple, 4 wheels are on each side of the Mukhasala and 2 wheels on each side of steps at the eastern front. One can calculate the precise time of the day just by looking at the shadow cast by the spokes.

Wheel of Konarkwww.thekonark.in

The entire chariot temple is on the amazingly sculptured 24 ornate wheels, each about 9 feet and 9 inches in diameter and pulled by 7 spirited horses. There are many interpretations with respect to the significance of Konark time wheel. According to some, the 7 horses represent the days of a week and the 12 pairs of wheels represent the 12 months of the year and the 24 wheels indicate 24 hours of a day. As for 8 major spokes, they signify prahars (three hour period) of a day. Others believe that the wheels of chariot are symbolic of the 'Wheel of Life'. They point out the cycle of creation, preservation and achievement of realisation. The 12 pairs of wheels, it is believed, may also possibly represent the 12 zodiac signs. Some researchers suggest that the Wheel of Konark is the same as the Dharmachakra of the Buddhists - the Wheel of Karma or the Wheel of the Law.

Architecturally all the 24 wheels are similar but each one of them is decorated differently. The thicker wheels have circular medallions carved at their centres on the widest part of the face. The axles of the wheels that project by about one foot from the surface, are characteristic of similar decorations at their ends. The rims are carved with designs of foliage with various birds and animal and dominate the rim. On the other hand, the medallions in the spokes have carvings of figures of amorous women mostly of erotic nature.

Time wheel. Konark, India.Sun temple.thekonark.in

The beads are large and the sun's shadow falls on them.The Hindu FAQs

The Konark wheel has 8 wider or major spokes and 8 thinner or minor spokes. The distance between two major spokes is calculated as 3 hours (180 minutes). The minor spoke between two major spokes indicates 1.5 hours (the time between a major
spoke and a minor spoke is an hour and half or 90 minutes). There are 30 beads at the edge of the wheel between one major spoke to the next minor spoke and they divide the 90 minutes, each bead representing 3 minutes. The beads are large enough to see the shadow falling on them. The Sun dial shows time in an anti-clockwise fashion and the major spoke at top center is taken as 12 o' clock midnight and this spoke stands for 3 A.M and this one for 6 A.M and so on. If there is no sun or sky is overcast how one would calculate the the time? To calculate the time after sunset, the moon dials work just like sundial and can work well on full moon. Every night after full noon, the average time is 48 minutes slow, while every night preceding the full moon it is roughly 49 minutes fast, if there is enough light to take a reading by. Thus, one week either before or after the full moon the time will be calculated (based on the moon dial) as 5 hours and 36 minutes before or after the proper time.
Tit-bits:

01. It is said that very heavy magnet was kept atop the temple and iron plates are sandwiched between every two stones of the temple to facilitate construction of higher floors over them. This ingenious arrangements of the main magnet along with the other magnets caused the main idol of the temple to float in the air.

02. The magnet at the temple was, it is said, was removed by the British who were unable to conduct geodetic survey, etc. Further, it affected the functioning of the compasses used by the ocean-going ships.

03. More than 100 years ago, the people thought the stone wheels were carved artistically for aesthetic purpose and never thought about the utility value of the time wheels. People came to know about the use of time wheels when a yogi read the time, using the wheels and the shadow cast by the sun on the spokes.

Ref:

http://www.thekonark.in/konarkwheel.html

http://www.industrytap.com/ancient-sun-temple-worlds-biggest-clock/18092

Tit-Bits:

01. It is reported that there was a heavy magnet kept atop the temple and every two stones of the temple were sandwiched by iron plates to construct the higher floors . Consequently, this unique arrangement of the main magnet along with the other magnets caused the main idol of the temple to float in the air. The magnet at the top is said to have disturbed compasses for coastal voyagers and was later removed by the British.

02. More than 100 years ago, the people thought the wheels were carved artistically for aesthetic purpose and never thought about the utility value of the time wheels. People came to know about the use of time wheels when a yogi read the time using the wheels and the shadow cast by the sun on them.

http://www.thekonark.in/konarkwheel.html

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Nidhi Goyal

Nidhi is a gold medalist Post Graduate in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences. You can also find Nidhi on Google+.

Please tell us which country and city you'd like to see the weather in.
750 Year Old Sundial at Konark, India - Moondial too?
Konarak India sun dial clocks, carved rock temple, UNESCO moon dial
Know 13 Facts About Konark Sun Temple Which Is Mind-BLowing
Konark Sun Temple Is NOT a Hindu Temple
Konark wheels, the Sun dials || Explored the Myth from Konark Temple
Sundial
sun dial konark sun temple
The Mathematics behind Konark Sun Temple
Konark Temple Telugu
Indian Women Wore High Heels 750 Years Ago? Fashion Modeling Began in India
750 Year Old Sundial At Konark, India Moondial Too

location on Google Map
Konark

Konark (Odia: କୋଣାର୍କ) is a medium town in the Puri district in the state of Odisha, India. It lies on the coast by the Bay of Bengal, 65 kilometers from the capital of the state, Bhubaneswar. It is the site of the 13th-century Sun Temple, also known as the Black Pagoda, built in black granite during the reign of Narasimhadeva-I. The temple is a World Heritage Site. The temple is now mostly in ruins, and a collection of its sculptures is housed in the Sun Temple Museum, which is run by the Archaeological Survey of India.

Konark is also home to an annual dance festival called Konark Dance Festival, held every December, devoted to classical Indian dance forms, including the traditional classical dance of Odisha, Odissi.

On 16 February 1980, Konark lay directly on the path of a total solar eclipse.
Etymology

The name Konârka is derived from the Sanskrit word Kona (meaning angle) and word Arka (meaning sun) in reference to the temple which was dedicated to the Sun god Surya.
The Sun Temple
Read more...

This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - https://wn.com/Konark

This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
Sun temple

A sun temple (or solar te

https://wn.com/750_year_old_sundial_at_konark,_india_moondial_too

Sivayoginathar temple located at Thiruvisainallur (this village is famous for the great saint Sridhara Ayyawal who made the Ganges water flow into his well), about 12 km from the temple city of Kumbakonam in Thanjavur district is a historical Hindu Temple. dedicated to Lord Shiva, it is 1400 years old and was built by the Chola rulers. The special feature about this temple is there is a wall clock to calculate the time and it was believed to have been built during the reign of Parantaka Chola. This old clock, one of its kind in Tamil Nadu works on the very old principle- calculating time, using sun's shadow.

1400 year old clock,Sivayoginathar temple,TN mysteryofindia.com/

The wall clock, mounted on a 35 feet tall inner wall of the temple, is carved out of granite in the shape of semi circle with a three inch-long brass needle permanently fixed at the centre of a horizontal line. As the sun changes its position from 6 am to 6 pm and casts rays on the brass needle, the shadow of the needle indicates the proper time. Devotees coming to this temple get a thrill out of this vintage clock by calculating the time, using the shadow cast by the needle. The clock on the wall of a 1400 year old Hindu temple bears testimony to the scientific knowledge, wisdom and curiosity of those Chola rulers of Tamil Nadu.

Sivayogi Naathar temple, Tiruvisanallur. dinamalar.com/

It is said that during the colonial period, the
British added numerals to make calibration easier. Considering the antiquity of the clock, lack
of frequent maintenance and the long time span, discolouration has set in on the needle and this has resulted in the slow fading of the numerals.

map of Thrivisanallur. www.google.co.in/

The temple is being managed by the Thanjavur Palace Devasthanam that undertook renovation work in the past at an estimated cost of Rs 46 lakh to preserve the clock and the temple for the posterity. The time shown by the old clock may not be efficient, but certainly, it is a legacy of Chola ingenuity.

Tit-Bits:

01. The first renovation work was done in 1931 after a pretty long time.

02. Here, in the garbagraha - sanctum, the main deity Sivayoginathar does not have his consort by his side. He is in deep meditation and his consort is waiting outside the shrine.Stha viruksham is Bael tree - Vilvam

03. Lord's consort Soundarya Nayaki has a separate shrine facing south where the sun clock is mounted.

04. The name Sivayoginathar is derived from the fact that here eight Shiva Yogis merged with Shivalinga after getting salvation.

05. The unique feature at this temple is in the Tamil month Chithirai (April) on 1, 2, and 3, the Sunrays fall right on the Lingam in the sanctum.

Ref:

http://www.mysteryofindia.com/2015/03/1400-years-old-sun-clock-of-chola-empire.html

https://pparihar.com/2015/06/29/sun-clock-1400-years-old-ancient-indian-clock/

India, in particular, North is endowed with countless beautiful palaces and palatial residences built by the rich Maharajahs a century or centuries ago. Their size, rich design, embellishments,etc were dependent on their financial clout and status. After India's independence and since the cut in the dole being received by them from the government, these by-gone princely, people, to maintain their status and comfortable living, matching their past glory, have converted many of these historical building into luxurious resorts and five star heritage hotels where the visitors enjoy the lost old charm in the artificial modern environment.

Ajit Bhawan palace, Jodhpur Booking.com

For the Maharajahs of Jodhpur, the seat of power was Jodhpur and they ruled their kingdom from safety of their formidable fort (at Jodhpur) - the Meharangarh. The Maharajah of Jodhpur 100 years ago decided to have a new residence built and it was called the Umed Bhawan Palace. His younger brother Maharaj Ajit Singh, then Prime Minister of the state, followed suit and built a residence for him called Ajit Bhavan that was designed by an English architect. The Jodhpur red sand-stones were mainly used for the construction of the building. The building has a traditional design with two floors and gardens around it. The unique feature of the age old design is two floors and the mezzanine section have high ceilings with proper ventilation. This helps proper regulation of cool air circulation inside the building and this special arrangement keeps the rooms cool from the hot summer heat and radiation.


Ajit Bhawan palace, Jodhpur. T2India

As in many Indian palaces, the Zennana or the woman’s living chambers were on the first floor. In many palaces, this section was self-contained had latticed windows to help the womenfolks to see outside from their living space. In the bygone days, it was customary that the gates to the Zennana in the the Ajit Bhawan Palace were guarded by well-trained soldiers. In this case they em[ployed sturdy unics to safeguard the gates. This would prevent men loitering near the women's quarters and the palace women would move around inside the section freely and comfortably. When Rani Ajit Singh was going down the grand stairway to the Lady's porch that had huge swinging doors, in those days, an alarm would sound. Her car would be parked near the door for the Royal lady to access the autobobile easily.

Ajit Bhawan palace,TripAdvisor

The palace had a big court yard that was used by the rulers to meet local dignitaries, including people from the villages. The rulers had a close rapport with the people by patiently listening to their grievances and tried to get them redressed. The residence has an orchard in the front on the left side. There are jails, stables, a temple and a well on the right side. The roof of the house has interesting latticeworks and an interconnected two staircases that once led to the ladies wing of the house.

Mewar painting of a royal family. Alamy

Built in 1927 with serene desert of Rajasthan around it, the palace brings out the legacy of Rajput style of living and the charm of the desert area. It is part of the past history of a rich and powerful Rajput Royal family.

The palace has been converted into a resort and in the midst of this dry region, it an oasis of comfort and fun. The warm hospitality and the quiet ambiance will make the visitors feel at home. Here the Rajput heritage is vibrantly alive. The palace is set in a plot that covers 20,500 square meters.

Ajit Bhavan is located 2 km from the Jodhpur Airport, 3 km from the Railway Station and 5 km from the
Jodhpur Bus Stand.

http://in.wikifun.com/ajit-bhawan-(a-heritage-resort)-jodhpur-342006_fs1485243en.html


*the vrihat samrat yantra* (the world's largest sundial).//en.wikipedia.org**

According to Wikipedi, "The Jantar Mantar is an equinoctial sundial, consisting a gigantic triangular gnomon with the hypotenuse parallel to the Earth's axis...........The instrument is intended to measure the time of day, correct to half a second and declination of the Sun and the other heavenly bodies."

The Jantar Mantar observatory, Jaipur. Amusing Planet

Believe it or not, there are five places in India where you can see the Jantar Mantar monuments - Jaipur, New Delhi, Ujjain, Varanasi and Mathura. At these places you can study the Astrnomy of the our solar system. Among them, the largest observatory is in Jaipur which has many instruments along with the world's largest stone sundial. The Vrihat Samrat yantra is the world's largest sundial, that can give the local time to an accuracy of 2 seconds and it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It measures time in intervals of 2 seconds using shadow cast from the sunlight)

This amazing scientific structure was built in 1720 during the reign of Maharaja Jai Singh II. The Jantar Mantar features various architectural and astrological instruments that have attracted the attention of the astronomers, historians and architects world over because, unlike traditional clocks, this one is unique.

The Jantar Mantar observatory, Jaipur. idealista.com

The observatory has 19 instruments and they are designed to measure time, predict eclipses, track location of major stars as the earth orbits around the sun, ascertain the declinations of planets, etc.They help us find out and identify the constellations and, even analyse the orbits of planets around the sun. Some instruments are worth mentioning:

Chakra Yantraconsists four semicircular arcs on which a gnomon casts a shadow; this gives the declination of the Sun at four specified times of the day. Amazingly, the data corresponds to noon at four observatories around the world (Greenwich in UK, Zurich in Switzerland, Natka in Japan and Saitchen in the Pacific); In a way similar to a clock showing time in different parts of the world. Dakshin Bhitti Yantrais meant to study the distances of celestial bodies. It measures meridian, altitude and zenith Digamsha Yantra is a pillar in the middle of two concentric outer circles. It is used to measure azimuth of the sun, and to calculate the time of sunrise and sunset forecasts.Dhruva Darshak Pattika is used to observe and find the location of pole star with respect to other celestial bodies.
Kapali Yantra measures coordinates of celestial bodies in azimuth and equatorial systems, any point in sky can be visually transformed from one coordinate system to another. Kranti Vritta Yantra helps us measure longitude and latitude of celestial bodies). Laghu Samrat Yantra. is a smaller sundial at the monument, inclined at 27 degrees. With this we can measure time, less accurate than Vrihat Samrat Yantra. Nadi Valaya Yantrahas two sundials representing north and south hemispheres. As for the accuracy of the instrument with respect to time, it is is less than a minute. Rashi Valaya Yantrahas 12 dials to measure ecliptic coordinates of stahas rs, planets and all 12 constellation systems.Shastansh Yantra, like Vrihat Samrat Yantra, is a unique instrument and has a 60 degree arc built in the meridian plane within a dark chamber. At noon, the sun's pinhole image falls on a scale below making the observer measure the zenith distance, declination, and the diameter of the Sun. Yantra Raj Yantra is a 2.43 -metre bronze astrolabe, one of the largest in the world. Used only once a year, it calculates the Hindu calendar.

Located near City Palace and Hawa Mahal of Jaipur, Jantar Mantart monument consists of masonry, stone and brass instruments that were built using astronomy and instrument design principles of ancient Hindu Sanskrit texts. The common feature is the strange instruments make the observation of astronomical positions with the naked eye. The monument is good example of the fusion of various ideas expressed in different religion and the prevailing social beliefs then with respect to calculation of time. The architectural innovations in 18th century India in astronomy is unique and the observatory is an example of the the astronomy as propounded by Ptolomy that was shared by many civilisations.

Tit-Bits:

The name "Jantar Mantar" is at least 200 years old and was mentioned in the records from 1803. But the name Jantra is not mentioned in the archives of Jaipur State - accounts from 1735 and 1737–1738. In the spoken language, it is said to be corrupted to Jantar. The word Jantra is derived from yantra which means instrument, The suffix Mantar derived from mantrana means consult or calculate. The words jantar and 'mantar (or yantra and mantra) imply calculation instrument.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jantar_Mantar,_Jaipur

Taj Bawadi, Bijapur (Vijayapura) Oddroad

The Indian rulers, be they Sultans or Maharajahs centuries ago, rulered their states with vision and foresight. They gave much importance to public works, in particular, supply of potable water to the citizens. They built numerous lakes, water tanks with network of inter-linking canals covering vast land in the rain-fed regions. What about dry areas or areas where drought condition was a threat to the people? How did the rulers manage the regions where the availability of water was poor for agriculture and daily needs? They adopted an ingenious methods to tap and store water. They built what are called bawadis which served effectively in the dry and semi arid areas. Bawadis are big open wells with steps or with out steps.

Vijayapura (previously Bijapur) in Karnataka state has innumerable bawadis that were built by the rulers of the Adil Shahi dynasty. (1490-16860. According to historian Krishna Kolhar Kulkarni, the city and its surroundings had about 700 stepless wells and 340 bawadis with steps. These historical bawadis, after the fall of Adil Shah dynasty fell into disuse and later became garbage dump sites.

hoparoundindia.comChand Bawadi, Bijapur.

Until recently, these step wells were in a state of neglect. Credit goes to state minister M.P. Patil, who is in charge of Vijayapura district. He evinced keen interest to revive these ancient wells and mobilised eight crore rupees for the revival project He wanted to revive 21 huge wells back to old glory.

It is estimated that these huge water wells could store enough water to take care the needs of roughly one million people of the city of Bijapur in the 17th century. Among the bawadis built by the Adil Shahi kings, mention may be made of the bawadis such as - Taj Bawadi, Chand Bawadi, Masa Bawadi, Ilalkhan Bawadi, Nawab Bawadi, etc. Of these, Taj and Chand Bawadi are quite well-known and probably the biggest. The depth of the open wells is between 20 to 60 wells while that of Taj bawadi is around 100 feet.

Vijapura (Bijapur) map. Maps of India

Built in 1620 on the orders of Ibrahim Adil Shah II, in memory of his queen Taj Sultana, Taj Bawadi is the biggest one, flanked by two octagonal towers, and huge domes that surround the square shaped well. A few months ago this huge Taj bawadi - open well was an eye-sore - almost like a stinking filthy cesspool. Its polluted water was unfit for any use. To day, the story is different; it is rebuilt and restored and it supplies good quality, potable water with hundreds of springs injecting fresh water into it.The Taj bawadi is one of the 21 open wells being revived by the district administration. Cleaning and desilting them was already under taken by them The other bawadis, including Gunnapur and Pathi bawadis are being repaired and revived by the administration.

Taj Bawadi, Bijapur Alamy

Above image: Entrance to the Taj Bawadi - open water well built by Adil Shah in honor of his wife, Taj Sultana.There were several hundred open wells with steps and without steps built by the Adil Shah dynasty to meet water needs in semi-arid region. Taj bawadi is the biggest one. ................

How come the city of Vijayapura (Bijapur) has so many open deep wells. Historian Abdul Gani Imratwale is of the opinion that Bijapur in the past centuries frequently experienced drought conditions as it was located in a semi-arid region. So, it dawned upon the Adil Shah kings to build numerous open wells to supply water to the city. For decades these wells supplied potable water to the city centuries ago as predicted by the ruler.

According to the city commissioner, desilting and cleaning the bawadis is a tough and time-consuming job and it takes 15 to 20 days to clean the small ones. There are 60 bawadis near the city and they need to be cleaned soon to put them to proper use use. The city has a plan to install pump sets and also RO system to meet the people's needs. The city of Vijayapura needs 65 million liters of water a day and the bawadis, if fully revived, would cover 5 MLDs.

Tit-bits:

01. In 1981-82, attempts were made to desilt the tank and supply water to the residents from Taj Bawadi. Unfortunately, the project did not see the light since the water in the well was not fit for drinking.

02. There are underground tunnels built between these wells and they ensured steady supply of water to all pockets of the city.

03. Built by Ali Adil Shah in 1579 and named in memory of his queen Chandbibi, Chand bawadi is yet another famous open well. Unlike Taj Bawadi, the premises of Chand Bawadi are better taken care of. "If these bawadis are cleaned, and desilted, they would help solve the district's drinking water problem," said Krishna Kolharkulkarni, another historian.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/vijayapura-bawadis-were-full-of-water/articleshow/58216229.cms

Ajantha caves, Maharastra. Holidify

Ajantha caves. Gizmodo India

With a history dating back to nearly 5000 years, India is home to thousands of monuments that are dotted across the country. These monuments have religious, spiritual, cultural, architectural and artistic connotations. They ever stand as the silent spectators of our past history, civilization and the growth of a heterogeneous society in which age old tradition and modernity coexist side by side. India is also a treasure trove for the history buff.

Among the great Indian monuments of exceptional architectural wonders, the caves of Ellora and Ajantha carved into the Sahyadri Hills in Aurangabad district (65 miles from Aurangabad city)

Ajantha caves- Cave 9, en.wikipedia.org

Above image: Picture of cave nine representing first period. Hinayana style of worship was followed with stupa. There were no idols. The object of worship was stupa. This cave was, apparently, a prayer hall....................

in Maharastra state occupy a prime place and they have drawn the attention of old monument freaks. Dating back to 2nd century BC, these caves bring out the superb artistic talents and workmanship of the skilled artisans who created the sermon in the caves. Both Ajantha and Ellora caves are simply artistic religious-cultural, mind-blowing wonders. Considered as an important heritage site, the 34 rock caves at Ellora were created during the 350 AD to 700 AD period. The sculptures and stone images represent three religions, prevailing then - Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.

The caves remained covered by thick jungle in the Sahyadri mountainous region. They were accidentally discovered and brought to the attention of the western scholars on 28 April 1819 by a British military officer named John Smith of the 28th Cavalry during a tiger hunting expedition. He first stepped into the entrance of cave 10 with the help of a local Shepard boy. The caves got the name from a nearby village named Ajanta located about 12 km.

It was the Royal Asiatic Society that brought to light the exotic setting, beautiful paintings and architecture of these rock-cut caves that are excavated in horse–shoe shaped bend of rock surface nearly 76 m in height overlooking a narrow stream known as Waghora. The RAS initiated the projects to copy the paintings, etc., after rediscovery. In 1848, the Royal Asiatic Society established the "Bombay Cave Temple Commission"to clen up and come up with a clear record of the most important rock-cut sites in the Bombay Presidency, with one John Wilson as president. In 1861 this commision became the precursor to the new Archaeological Survey of India.

Sitting Budhain cave 16

en.wikipedia.org

Ajantha caves, Maharastra. Cave 26. wikiwand.com

Above image:This is the image of cave 26 representing second period - Mahayana style worship hall with stupa and idols. .........

As for Ajanta, the 29 rock-cut caves were carved during the period from 480 BC to 650 AD and they tell us about Buddhism. The paintings - murals and rock cut sculptures are believed to be the finest among the surviving examples of ancient Indian art. In particular, the beautiful paintings bring out the emotions, through pose, gestures and expressions. They are the master pieces of Buddhists' arts that later influenced the Indian art forms, according to the UNESCO. In 1969, UNESCO classified this site as a world Heritage site. The caves, it is believed, were built in two phases, the first group of caves began to appear around the 2nd century BCE to first BCE, while the second group came up around 400–650 CE.

Chatya hall, Ajantha, Maharastra. India Mike

Caves 9, 10, 12, 13 that come under the earliest group belong to the Hinayana. They were made during the period 100 BCE to 100 CE, probably under the patronage of the Hindu Satavahana dynasty (230 BCE – c. 220 CE) who ruled the region. Other datings suggest the period of the Maurya Empire (300 BCE to 100 BCE). Caves 9 and 10 have prayer halls of Chaityagraha form with a stupa. Whereas caves 12,13 are Viharas

The second phase of construction at the Ajanta Caves site began after a long gap in the 5th century (from 460 to 480 CE, during the reign of Hindu Emperor Harishena of the Vakaṭaka dynasty. The development of second phase was possible due to the theistic Mahayana or Greater Vehicle tradition of Buddhism. Caves of the second period are 1–8, 11, 14–29; some may be possible extensions of earlier caves. Caves 19, 26, and 29 are chaitya-grihas, the rest viharas.

The Ajanta Caves were once ancient monasteries and prayer halls carved deep into a 250 feet wall of rocks. Apparently, they represent different Buddhist traditions prevailing then. The cave paintings depict the past lives and rebirths of the Buddha and stories from Aryasura's Jatakamala, and rock-cut sculptures of Buddhist deities between the 2nd century BCE and 5th century CE.

Ajantha cave temples in the basaltic rock terrain,MH Advisor

With respect to the world famous paintings at Ajanta, they also fall into two broad phases. The earliest is in the form of fragmentary specimens in cave nos. 9 & 10, which are datable to second century B.C. The second phase of paintings started around 5th – 6th centuries A.D. and continued for the next two centuries. The primary theme of the paintings is the depiction of various Jataka stories, different interesting incidents associated with the life of Buddha.The paintings at Ajanta are not frescoes as they are painted with the aid of a binding agent. Before the painting work, particularly on the ceiling, etc, the artists prepared the surface of the rock before hand. Initially, chisel marks and grooves on the rocks surface are made, so that the layer of painting applied over it, will be fixed firmly.

Visitors are not allowed to take pictures inside the caves that remain closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Tit-Bits:

01. Why are the historical large caves located in this area of Maharashtra? For the Buddhist monks who preferred these secluded places, particularly, during the rainy seasons provided a quiet and serene environmentfor prayer and meditation

02. This retreat also gave them enough time and opportunity to engage in their additional religious pursuits by way of intellectual discourses for a Long period.

03. The caves were excavated in different periods (circa. 2nd century B.C. to 6th century A.D.). Amazingly, each cave had a direct access with the near-by river through a flight of steps. The passages are almost damaged and one could see traces of some of them.

04. Among the caves (total 30 in number; one being unfinished), five (cave no. 9, 10, 19, 26, and 29) are chaityagrihas and the rest are viharas.These ancient caves are datable to the pre-Christian era, the earliest among them being Cave 10 dating from the second century B.C. Cave 10 dating from the second century B.C. The object of worship is a stupa here and these caves show evidence of wooden construction as confirmed bythe presence of sculpted wooden rafters and beams that appeared to be non-functional.

Additionally, the caves were excavated by royal patronage and the feudatories under the Vakatakas as illustrated by the inscriptions found in the caves. Varahadeva, the minister of Vakataka king Harishena (A.D. 475-500) dedicated Cave 16 to the Buddhist Sangha while Cave 17 was the gift of a prince (who subjugated Asmaka) feudatory to the same king.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajanta_Caves

http://asi.nic.in/asi_monu_whs_ajanta.asp

Ellora, cave 10. Encyclopedia Britannica

Above image: Sculpture of the Buddha in the main room of the temple of Vishvakarma (cave 10) ...............

Ellora, one of the largest rock-cut monastery-temple caves complexes in the world, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Maharashtra, India. The fascinating site is on the Aurangabad-Chalisgaon road at a distance of 30 km north-northwest of Aurangabad, the district headquarters. Here one can find beautiful artwork of Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism from the 600-1000 CE period. Here are several caves, the largest being no. 16 cave that has the a huge monolithic rock excavation in the world, the Kailasha temple, a chariot shaped monument dedicated to Shiva. The gods, goddesses and mythologies found in Vaishnavism, Shaktism are abundantly presented in this Kailasha complex, in addition to relief panels summarizing the two major Hindu Epics -The Ramayana and Mahabharata.

Ellora Caves:Jagran Josh

In total there are 100 caves, of which 34 caves are open to public These excavations were found in the vertical Basaltic rock (volcanic rocks of the Deccan Plateau) Cliff in the Charanandri hills and have to be taken care of well because of the fragile nature of the terrain. These excavations include 12 Buddhist (caves 1–12), 17 Hindu (caves 13–29) and 5 Jain (caves 30–34) caves. The interesting feature is each group is represented by respective deities and mythologies that were popular in 1st millennium CE. As for Buddhism, it presents representative monasteries, existing then. The proximity of these religious figures truly illustrates the religious harmony and unity prevalent in ancient India. Records show that the all Ellora monuments were built by the Hindu rulers and the funding was provided by the royals, traders and rich people. The Rashtrakuta dynasty built some of the Hindu & Buddhist group of caves, and Yadav dynasty was instrumental in building Jain tem[ples. Ellora, during the early centuries of the Christian era, is also understood by the findings of coins of Satavahanas, the ruling dynasty during the period

kailasantha_temple Ellora caves studyblue.com

Ellora monument site is about 300 kilometres (190 miles) east-northeast from Mumbai. It was once a commercial hub in the prime location in the Deccan region, that formed part of an ancient trade route of South Asia. Considering its strategic location, the temples served as places of worship for pilgrims and the monasteries served the same purpose for monks. Both monasteries and temples were used by the travelers as resting places in the by-gone days. Ellora Caves and nearby Ajanta Caves, form one of the major tourist attractions in Marathwada region . Like Ajantha, Ellora is a protected monument under the Archaeological Survey of India.

Ellora caves, kailasanatha temple. Maharastra. TwistedSifter

Tit-Bits:

01. Visitors are advised to go to this site during the Monsoon season; the advantage being one can enjoy the scenic beauty and the nature in full bloom. Besides, the entire area sports lush green cover that will be pleasing to the eye.

02. The terrain, where these caves are located, is of volcanic origin made of volcanic rocks called Basalt. The basaltic rocks exhibit tall hexagonal vertical columns caused by sudden cooling of lava at the surface, as a result they appear as rock pillars. They form the geological formation called Deccan Traps (Cretaceous era of the Geological time scale - about 65 million years ago).They form part of the Sahyadri ranges of the Deccan. These basaltic rocks are susceptible to weathering and stream erosion and have given rise to the appearance of terraces with flat summits due to forces of nature.

03. The volcanic lava that came out of the surface during different eruptions in different times gave rise to extensive horizontal flows alternating with vesicular trap beds. The different lava flows also gave rise to vertical as well as horizontal joints in the rock formation.

04. Because of the nature and texture of Basaltic rocks, ancient artisans knew how to handle them. Cutting and splitting was easy because of the presence of joints in the rocks. With dexterity, they made exquisite rock carvings as well as huge stone images.

05. The Deccan Basalt rock is ideal for rock hewing, the technique widely understood during ancient times.

06. It is believed that roughly, there are nearly 1200 caves of varying sizes in the entire Maharashtra, out of which nearly 900 alone belong to Buddhism.

07. Ellora was ideally located on the ancient trade route connecting the western ports on the Arabian sea like Sopara (Surparaka, the Supara of Greek; the ancient capital of northern Konkan), Kalyan a thriving port,Chemula of Silaharas, on the island of Trombay, etc.

08. The caves are date-able from circa 6th - 7th century A.D. to 11th - 12th century A.D. There are, in total, 100 caves in the hill range out of which 34 caves are we-known and visited by many tourists; out of which Caves 1 to 12 are Buddhist; Caves 13 to 29 are Brahminical and Caves 30 to 34 are Jaina.

09. Caves 1 to 10 and Cave 21 (Ramesvara) were definitely constructed before the arrival of Rastrayakutas. The Jaina caves definitely post-date the Rashtrakutas. The majority of Brahminical establishments and the remaining Buddhists ones came up during the time of Rashtrakutas.

10. Both monasteries and temples, in the ancient time, were used by the travelers as resting places.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellora_Caves

Mahabodhi Temple, Gaya, India Thousand Wonders

Mahabodhi Temple Travel Bharat

Mahabodhi temple, that has been around since 260 BCI, is the holiest place of worship for the Buddhists of not only India but also of other countries. Mahabodhi Temple is a UNESCO’s World Heritage Site. Everyweek Buddhists in thousands visit this temple of historical and cultural importance. Located in the Gaya district of Bihar, the main object of veneration is the sacred Bodhi tree in the temple complex. It is believed to be spot where Buddha used to meditate for transcending the cycle of reincarnation. Since he got the enlightenment here, it is considered as the holiest spot in the complex. A statue of Buddha made of polished sandstone was installed by Emperor Asoka, one of the greatest warriors of India, in the third Century B.C. Prior to coming to this place, Buddha was a rich prince by the name of Siddhartha Gautam and enjoyed all the trappings of a royal life, At one point of time he was fed up with his affluent life and began to see the other side of the world, sufferings, pain, poverty, etc. He questioned the inequality of lives existing in the world. Driven by curiosity and urge to find answer, he renounced his rich royal life, family, etc., and came over to the forested banks of the Phalgu river, near the city of Gaya, India. There he sat in meditation under a peepul tree (Ficus religiosa or Sacred Fig) which later became known as the Bodhi tree. Buddhist scriptures mention that, after three days and three nights, Siddharta attained enlightenment and the answers that he had sought. After prolonged meditation he attained Nirvana.In that location, Mahabodhi Temple was built by Emperor Ashoka in around 260 BCE.

Mahabodhi Temple. en.wikipedia.org/

The Mahabodhi Vihar (literally: "Great Awakening Temple"), is simply a Buddhist temple in Bodh Gaya, the place where the Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment. Bodh Gaya is about 96 km (60 mi) from Patna, capital city of Bihar state.

The Buddha then is believed to have spent the succeeding seven weeks at seven different locations/spots in the vicinity meditating and considering his experience. Several specific places at the current Mahabodhi Temple relate to the traditions surrounding these seven weeks. The temple was built directly to the east of the Bodhi tree, supposedly a direct descendant of the original Bodhi Tree. Legend has it that, a Bodhi tree sprang up on the day Gautama Buddha was born.

Buddhametta in Mahabodhi Temple. Wikimedia Commons

In roughly 250 BCE, about 200 years after the Buddha had attained Enlightenment, Buddhist Emperor Asoka visited Bodh Gaya with a view to establishing a monastery and shrine on the holy site. The new Mahabodhi temple included a diamond throne called the Vajrasana to mark the exact spot of the Buddha's enlightenment. Emperor Asoka is considered the Mahabodhi temple's founder, but the current structure dates from the 5th–6th century.

After the decline of the dynasties that patronized Buddhism, the new religion slowly faded following White Hun and the early Arab Islamic invasions such as that of Muhammad bin Qasim. Later in the 12th century, the Muslim Turk armies invaded Gaya and in the wake of it, the temple fell into disrepair and was almost abandoned.

Tit-Bits:

Mahabodhi temple, peepel tree. TripAdvisor

01. This heritage site includes several places where Lord Buddha had meditated after attaining enlightenment. It is said there is a place in the heritage site where Buddha stood meditating for a week without moving his eyes.

02. In the 13th century, it is believed (?), Burmese Buddhists built a temple with the same name and modeled on the original Mahabodhi Temple.

03. During the 11th century and the 19th century, it was the Burmese rulers who undertook the restoration of the temple complex and surrounding wall.

04. Thanks to the Colonial administration. Having understood the historical value of this most important site that gave a popular religion to the world, in the 1880s, British colonial government of India began to restore Mahabodhi Temple under the direction of Sir Alexander Cunningham. In 1885, one Sir Edwin Arnold visited the site and under guidance from Ven. Weligama Sri Sumangala published several articles drawing the attention of the Buddhists to the deplorable conditions of Buddhagaya. Ultimately, after, independence, the site was recovered from the Hindu Mahant and the state of Bihar built the temple.

Mahabodhi Temple's central tower rises 55 meters (180 ft) and is made of brick. It is one of the oldest brick structures to have survived in eastern India. It is considered to be a fine example of Indian brickwork, Timings : 5 am to 9 pm. cameras and video are allowed.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahabodhi_Temple


Mahabalipuram shore temple, Tamil Nadu. The News Minute


Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu TripAdvisor

Above image: Built from a block of stone, this elephant
is about 11 feet tall.............

Mahabalipuram, near Chennai was once the port of thePallava rulers of 7th century and the rock carvings and monolithic sculptures are world renowned and no doubt, this place is a UNESCO World Heritage site. These plethora of rock carvings and amazing sculptures bring out the creativity, talents and workmanship of the then artisans and their ability to recreate their imagination in art forms in the rocks.

Mamallapuram, the city of Mamalla was a sea-port during the time of Periplus (1st century AD) and Ptolemy (AD 140) and is named after the great Pallava ruler Narasimhavarman-I (AD 630-68). Most of the monuments like rock-cut rathas, sculptured scenes on open rocks like Arjuna's penance, the caves of Govardhanadhari and Mahishasuramardini, the Jala-Sayana Perumal temple (the sleeping Mahavishnu or Chakrin at the back part of the Shore temple complex) were created during the period of Narasimhavarman-I Mamalla.

The sculptures that carved from local granite, can be classified into four categories:

– Monolithic rathas or temples , hewn out of a large boulder

– Bas-reliefs in the open air (Considered as unique artistic achievements)

– Structural temples

Among the temples, the beautiful lavish shore temple bordered by Nandi (bulls) and sandy beach facing the sea, is picture-post perfect and is a fascinating one. In terms of aesthetic value, the temple with artistic gopuram with the sea in the back drop is the most appealing one. Since it is close to the shore, the temple is subject to sea erosion and other vagaries of nature. The shore temple is a complex one, consisting of three temples, viz, Rajasimhesvara (a small vimana facing west), the Kshatriya Simhesvara (the larger east facing vimana) and Nripatisimha Pallava Vishnugriha (an east facing, oblong, flat-roofed mandapa shrine) housing the reclining Vishnu. These shrines are enclosed by two prakara walls with openings constructed in later times. The inner surface of prakara walls once contained panel sculptures which are worn out now.


Mahabalipuram shore temple. indiatravelnotes.com

Mahabalipuram monuments, Tamil Nadu Royal Leisure Tours

The shrines are one behind the other; one facing west and the other east. There is also a third shrine. The two shrines with vimana are dedicated to Shiva and the third being dedicated to Vishnu and the vimana atop the tower is missing. Situated to the north of a big hill is the Sthala Sayana Perumal temple. The celebrated open-air relief bas relief of shore temple called Arjuna's penance(carved out of a big boulder) and the rathas are examples of Pallava period's artistic talents. Most of the monuments came up during the Vijanagara period except the Sthalasayana Perumal temple. Included in the excavations are many mantaps with various number of pillars.

Mahabalipuram. Stone chariot like mantap. MouthShut.com

The Varaha mandapa, Mahisamardini mandapa, Paramesvara Mahavaraha Vishnugriha (Adivaraha cave) are important cave temples here.

The structural architecture was introduced on a grand scale by Pallava Rajasimha (AD 700-28) and this led to the erection of the world famous Shore temple.This shore temple was rebuilt gradually after major damages done by cyclone. The shore temples of Mahabalipuram are called seven pagodas, out of which six were lost due to ravages of nature. Only one survives. Some of the temples and carvings are huge and were built by Pallava ruler Raja Simha of 830-1100 AD. The free-standing huge, monolithic temples are called Rathas. The stone sculpture of Arjuna getting Pasupata is quite captivating and visitors to this shore temple monuments will never miss this artistic work. A few hundred meters away from the shore, in the low hills lie some excavated temples - 11 temples called Mantaps. There are unique temples in the form of Ratha (chariot) and all were carved out of the rocks. Besides, there are big stone sculptures of Shiva, Nandi (bull), Elephants and lions of exceptional workmanship.

Among the nine monolithic temples found in Mahabalipuram, the most famous are Five Rathas named after Pandava brothers of the Mahabharata fame. These monuments are carved out a single rock with proper plan. While the Dharmaraja, Arjuna and Draupadi rathas are square on plan, the Bhima and Ganesa rathas are different and are rectangular and Sahadeva ratha apsidal.The five rathas attract our attention, they are known as Dharmaraja, Bhima, Arjuna, Draupadi and shahadev, the largest being that of Dharmaraja. Rathas stand in descending order in terms of size.

The appeal of Mahabalipuram monuments and the shore temple is quite tempting that we will get drenched not only in its monumental architectural extravaganza but also in the charm of the place itself with nice sandy beach and the ever active waves of the Bay of Bengal.

http://asi.nic.in/asi_monu_whs_mahabalipuram.asp

.

Quotes for life

Amazing facts of Majuli, the largest fresh water island in the world

Colonial clock (1876) of Gandhi Gate in Amritsar

Thrikkadavoor Mahadev temple - people pray here for long longevity

New currency note (bill) and the value of life

Conditioning of the mind - elephant. and the rope!!

Daring Vanchinathan, patriot remembered (17 June 2017)

100 pillar hall, Srirangam temple - newly found flooring repaired

Menstruating Goddess Chengannur Bhagavathy Amman!! - some interesting facts

Historical Dr. Antonio Da Silva High School and Jr. College of Commerce (1851), Mumbai

Fascinating Puri Jagannath Rath Yatra, 2017

Awe-inspiring Konark Sun Temple and Time Wheels

1400 year old wall clock at Sivayoginathar temple, Tamil Nad

Ajit Bhawan palace Palace edit

Jantar Mantar, Jaipur, Rajasthan - Old indigenous observatory

Bawadis of Vijayapura (Bijapur) -- historical open wells of 16th and 17th centuries

Inspiring Ajantha rock-cut Cave Temples- a note

Ellora, the largest rock-cut monastery-temple caves complexes in the world

Mahabodhi Temple, Gaya, Buddhists holiest place - a world heritage site

Mahabalipuram rock-cut monuments - an amazing world heritage site