Garh Mukteshwar, often called as the mini-Banaras is dotted with many temples of great antiquity dating back to the Treta Yuga. Perhaps, one of oldest temples of this holy city is the Prachin Ganga Mandir situated on an 80 feet high mound. It is unclear when and by whom this temple was built, but... Continue Reading →
Nahush Koop, Garh Mukteshwar, Hapur District, Uttar Pradesh
Garh Mukteshwar, considered by many to be one of the most sacrosanct tirthasthalas of Akhanda Bharat has many temples of great antiquity. Said to have been a part of the Kuru kingdom, Garh Mukteshwar is famous for the five Lingas (pancha lingas) consecrated by Parashurama, a stunning Ganga Temple and smaller temples that date back to the Vedic... Continue Reading →
Kalyaneshwar Mahadev Temple, Garh Mukteshwar, Hapur District, Uttar Pradesh
Kalyaneshwar Mahadev Mandir located at Braj Ghat (Brij Ghat) in Garh Mukteshwar is an ancient temple of immense spiritual potency. This temple popularly known as Bhooto ka Mandir is believed to one of the pancha lingas consecrated by the mighty Parashurama in this region. According to the Hindu scriptures, this Shiva Linga from the days of yore... Continue Reading →
Mukteshwar Mahadev Dham, Garh Mukteshwar, Hapur District, Uttar Pradesh
Garh Mukteshwar situated on the banks of the holy Ganga is a sacred tirthasthala of immense importance since the ancient times. This place known earlier as Shiva Vallabhapura and Khandava Vana has been mentioned in the Hindu scriptures as the place that liberates one from all sins and the cycle of birth and death. According... Continue Reading →
Gopeshwar Mahadev Temple, Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh
The sacrosanct Braj Dham has four guardians namely Bhuteshwar Mahadev in Mathura, Chakleshwar Mahadev in Govardhan, Kameshwar Mahadev in Kaman and Gopeshwar Mahadev in Vrindavan. Gopeshwar Mahadev holds the distinction of being the only temple dedicated to Lord Shiva in his female form built in the ancient times. According to the Srimad Bhagavatam, on the... Continue Reading →
Kameshwar Mahadev Temple, Kaman Village, Bharatpur District, Rajasthan
Kameshwar Mahadev located in the sacrosanct Kaman village also known as Adi Vrindavan is one of the four important Shivalayas on the Braj Chaurasi Kos Yatra. Along with Bhuteshwar Mahadev in Mathura, Gopeshwar Mahadev in Vrindavan and Chakleshwar Mahadev in Govardhan, Kameshwar Mahadev is deemed to be the fourth guardian of the Braj Dham. According to... Continue Reading →
Garh Doul, Tarajan Kumar Gaon, Sonitpur District, Assam
The ancient city of Tezpur known as Sonitpur in the Mahabharat was the kingdom of the mighty Shiva bhakta Banasura. Banasura, an asura had pleased Lord Shiva with his manual dexterity using his thousand arms to play for Lord Shiva as he performed the Tandava (Cosmic Dance). Banasura was at the receiving end of Lord Shiva's wrath when... Continue Reading →
उत्तराखण्ड तेजपत्ता (Tejpat of Uttarakhand)
उत्तराखंड राज्य के नैनीताल, चमोली, टेहरी, बागेश्वर, अल्मोरा, पिथौरागढ़ और चंपावत जिलों में करीब १००० से २००० मीटर की ऊंचाई पर नम और छायादार स्थानों पर उगाए जाने वाले सुगंधित तेजपत्ता सन २०१६ में भौगोलिक सांकेतिक टैग (जी आई) प्राप्त करने का अधिकारी हुआ। राष्ट्रीय और अन्तर्राष्ट्रीय बाजारों में उत्तराखंड का सुप्रसिद्ध तेजपत्ता मीठी... Continue Reading →
Arumbavur Wood Carvings
The quaint town of Arumbavur located in Veppanthattai taluk of Perambalur district is renowned for the five-hundred-year-old craft of wood carving. In the earlier days, the sthapathis used to travel from temple to temple creating masterpieces like the ratha (chariot), utensils, statues and other iconography as per the tenets of Shilpa Shastra. Many of these original pieces of art are... Continue Reading →
ओडिशा का रशोगुल्ला (Rasagola of Odisha)
जिसे देखते ही मुंह में पानी आ जाए, वो है, "ओडिशा का रशोगुल्ला" इसकी उत्पत्ति का इतिहास आठ सौ साल पुराना है। भगवान जगन्नाथ को रशोगुल्ला भोग के रूप में अर्पण करने की परंपरा सदियों से चली आ रही है। ऐसी मान्यता है की १२वी शताब्दी से यह अद्भुत मिष्ठान्न, जगन्नाथ मंदिर में नीलाद्री बिजे... Continue Reading →
भागलपुरी जर्दालू आम (Bhagalpuri Zardalu Mango, Bihar)
हालांकि भागलपुर के जर्दालू आम का उल्लेख भारत की उच्च कोटि की आम की श्रेणियों जैसे: दशहरी, लंगड़ा, हापुज में कहीं नहीं पाया जाता, परंतु इस सौंधी खुशबू वाले आम को अब धीरे धीरे वह पहचान मिल रही है, जिसका यह अधिकारी है। असल में, जर्दालू आम का अपना रोचक इतिहास है, कहा जाता है... Continue Reading →
महाराष्ट्र का लासलगाव प्याज़ (Lasalgaon Onion, Maharashtra)
नाशिक जिले के निफाड तालुक में स्थित लासलगाव न केवल भारत अपितु समस्त एशिया में प्याज का सबसे बड़ा बाज़ार है। कई लोगों को इस बात का पता ही नहीं होगा कि महाराष्ट्र देश में प्याज का सबसे बड़ा उत्पादक है। प्रसिध्द लासलगाव प्याज़ जिसे लाल निफाड या नाशिक प्याज के नाम से भी जाना... Continue Reading →
आसाम की तेज़पुर लीची (Tezpur Litchi of Assam)
पूर्वोत्तर राज्य आसाम के बारे में शायद बहुत से लोग इस बात से अनजान हैं कि यह राज्य जैविक विविधता, विभिन्न वनस्पतियों और जीव जंतुओं से समृद्ध राज्य है। आसाम अपनी उष्णकटिबंधीय वर्षा वनों, बांस के बगीचों, राष्ट्रीय उद्यानों साथ ही विभिन्न प्रकार की स्थानीय खेती और फलों के उत्पादन के लिए भी जाना जाता... Continue Reading →
त्रिपुरा की क्वीन पाइनएप्पल (Tripura Queen Pineapple)
ऐसा माना जाता है कि अप्रतिम सुन्दरता से परिपूर्ण पूर्वोत्तर राज्य त्रिपुरा का नाम वहां की देवी त्रिपुरसुंदरी के नाम पर पड़ा है। हालांकि १८०० से १९०० के आरम्भ के दशक में त्रिपुरा राज्य अपनी सुगंधित चाय के लिए सुप्रसिद्ध था, परन्तु आज इसने अपनी सार्वभौमिक पहचान उष्कटिबंधीय फल और सब्जियों की विस्तृत श्रृंखला के... Continue Reading →
मणिपुर का कचि नींबू (Kachai Lemon, Manipur)
आमतौर पर "मणिपुर का गौरव" नाम से प्रसिद्ध, वहां का अनोखा "कचि चंपरा" या कचि नींबू , उत्तरपूर्व के मणिपुर राज्य के ऊखरूल जिले के सुदूर गांव कचि में पाया जाता है। यह गांव नींबुओं का सबसे बड़ा उत्पादक है, परन्तु इस नींबू में ऐसी क्या खासियत है? इसका कारण है वहां की उपोषणकटीबंधिय... Continue Reading →
कंधमाल हल्दी (Kandhamal Haladi, Odisha)
ओडिशा राज्य के दक्षिणी मध्य भाग में बसा कंधमालअपनी सुगंध से भरपूर हल्दी के लिए प्रसिद्ध है। इस स्थान पर हल्दी आदिवासियों द्वारा सदियों से उगाई जा रही है। यहां का लगभग साठ से सत्तर प्रतिशत क्षेत्र पहाड़ी है और घने जंगलों से ढका हुआ है। जलवायु के हिसाब से, हल्दी के अलावा यह... Continue Reading →
Puneri Pagadi, Maharashtra
Pagadi or turban has historically been a sign of culture, wisdom, virility and often used identify the different sections of community. Puneri pagadi is an inseparable part of Pune which is the cultural capital of Maharashtra. Puneri pagadi is conceptualized from the Peshwe turban worn by the Peshwas which itself was inspired by the traditional Chakribandh... Continue Reading →
Waghya Ghevada, Maharashtra
One of the most famous cash crops of Western Maharashtra is Waghya ghevada. Grown extensively in North Koregaon taluka of Satara district, this rajma was first cultivated in 1950 by the late Kashinath Mahajan who bought seeds of this variety from a trader in Pune. This variety soon became popular with the locals and was... Continue Reading →
Bhitargaon Temple, Bhitargaon, Kanpur District, Uttar Pradesh
One of the finest brick temples of India is the Bhitargaon Temple at Bhitargaon village in Ghatampur tehsil in Kanpur Nagar district. Considered to be the earliest surviving temple built by the Guptas, this architectural masterpiece is constantly in the news for its innovative construction as well as its mysterious background. Though the plan of... Continue Reading →
Anandeshwar Temple, Lasur Village, Amravati District, Maharashtra
One of the most interesting and lesser-known rock temples of Maharashtra is the Anandeshwar Temple at Lasur village in Daryapur taluka in Amravati district. Built on the bank of the Purna River on raised ground, this temple built in black stone looks very much like a fort from a distance. Historical records state that this... Continue Reading →
Roha Fort, Roha Village, Nakhatrana Taluka, Kutch, Gujarat
One of the oldest forts in Gujarat which at its zenith would have been an outstanding example of the grandeur and architecture typical of the Kutch region is the Roha Fort located at a little distance from Bhuj. Standing tall at 800 feet on the Roha hill overlooking the vast town of Roha, this centuries-old... Continue Reading →
Sindhudurg and Ratnagiri Kokum, Maharashtra
Kokum (Garcinia indica) called as the ‘The Kool King’ of Indian fruits flourishes in the dense forests of the Western Ghats of Maharashtra. Konkan kokum is a perennial fruit of commercial value that thrives in the scenic Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts. According to the locals, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts have about 43,000 centuries-old kokum... Continue Reading →
Markandeshwar Temple, Chamorshi, Gadchiroli District, Maharashtra
Located at the bank of the sacred Wainganga River in Markanda village in Gadchiroli district, the ancient temple complex of Markandeshwar is popularly called as the 'Khajuraho of Vidarbha'. Titled by historians and architects as the 'Most Picturesque Temple Complex', the iconic Markanda Mahadev Temple is steeped in spirituality, heritage and culture. This temple... Continue Reading →
Gondeshwar Temple, Sinnar, Nashik District, Maharashtra
One of the finest examples of the Hemadpanthi style of architecture is the Gondeshwar Temple at Sinnar. Considered to be the largest, most complete and best preserved medieval temple of the Deccan, Gondeshwar Temple bathed in the golden hue effulgence of the sun at sunrise and sunset is a spectacle to behold! According to... Continue Reading →