One of the finest examples of the early Pratihara style of architecture in Central India is the Mahadeva Temple in Amrol village. This ancient temple is likely to have been built in the 8th century by either Nagabhata I or Vatsaraja. The temples built by the Pratiharas in Gwalior are considered by historians to be... Continue Reading →
Kashikhanda: Panchkroshi Yatra: Kardameshwar Mahadev Temple, Kandwa, Varanasi District, Uttar Pradesh
One of the oldest surviving temples of Varanasi that holds the rare distinction of escaping the ruthless desecration by Muslim invaders especially the Mughals is the Kardameshwar Mahadev Mandir located near Kandwa Pokhra. This ancient Shiva Temple that forms a part of the sacrosanct Panchkroshi Yatra is one of the best preserved temples of Varanasi.... Continue Reading →
Narmada Parikrama: Sahastradhara, Mandla, Madhya Pradesh
One of the most revered places in Mandla is Sahastradhara, located at a little distance from the heart of the town. Sahastradhara derives its name from the Sanskrit words sahastra which means thousand and dhārā which means streams or watercourses. According to the Puranas, Ravana, Lord of Lanka chanced upon the serene waters of the... Continue Reading →
Kashikhanda: Pita Maheshwar Mandir, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
One of the most unusual temples of Varanasi is the Pita Maheshwar Mandir located in Sheetla Gali. As the name suggests, this temple is dedicated to Parama Pita Maheshwar Mahadev, the Father of Lord Shiva! As astounding as it sounds, this temple has been described in detail in the Kashi Khanda of the Skanda Purana as... Continue Reading →
Narmada Parikrama: Swayambu Sidhpeeth Sri Gupteshwar Mahadev Mandir, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh
One of the most ancient Shiva temples on the banks of the sacrosanct Rewa River is the Gupteshwar Mahadev Mandir in Jabalpur. Jabalpur is a part of the Narmada Parikrama and thousands of devotees come here every year to have darshan of Maa Narmada and participate in the aarti. This temple has been mentioned in the Koti... Continue Reading →
Kashikhanda: Sri Tripura Bhairavi Mandir, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
One of the most ancient and lesser-known temples of Varanasi located in Vishwanath Gali is the Sri Tripura Bhairavi Mandir. As the name suggests, this form of Divine Mother is the fifth manifestation in the Dasha Mahavidya. This unique form of Divine Mother is written about in detail in the Kashi Khanda of the Skanda Purana as... Continue Reading →
Narmada Parikrama: Vindhyavasini Beejasan Durga Devi, Salkanpur Village, Budni Tehsil, Sehore District, Madhya Pradesh
One of the most revered Durga Mata temples in India is the Vindyavasini Beejasan Durga Devi Temple located in Salkanpur village at a little distance from Hoshangabad that lies on the Narmada Parikrama. This ancient temple is situated atop a hillock at an elevation of 800 feet and accessed by a flight of about 1000... Continue Reading →
Kashikhanda: Annapurna Devi Mandir, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
Mata Annapurneshwari Temple, located near Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Vishwanath Gali area is one of the oldest temples of Kashi. This sacred temple is dedicated to Annapurna Devi also known as Bhavani Devi by the locals and is revered as the Goddess who bestows annam (food) or alms which in reality represents knowledge and dispassion.... Continue Reading →
Narmada Parikrama: Baneshwar Temple, Maheshwar, Madhya Pradesh
The picturesque city of Maheshwar, located on the banks of the sacrosanct Rewa River is synonymous with history, culture, art, architecture, faith, spirituality, courage, patriotism and romanticism. Every square inch of this ancient city has a story that will be leave you spellbound. Maheshwar is one of the most important kshetras on the Narmada Parikrama and... Continue Reading →
Kashikhanda: Kaal Bhairav Mandir (Kashi ke Kotwal), Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
The Kaal Bhairav Mandir located in Bharonath is one of the most mysterious and interesting temples of Varanasi. Popularly known as Kashi ke Kotwal (Kōtavāla) that translates to the guardian or officer of Kashi, this temple is said to have existed since the ancient times. Legend has it that one time Lord Vishnu and... Continue Reading →
Kashikhanda: Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
Situated on the western bank of the sacrosanct Ganga River in Varanasi is the grand temple of Kashi Vishwanath. As the name suggests, this ancient temple is dedicated to Vishwanatha or Vishweshwara meaning 'Ruler of the Universe' and is the first and only Jyotirlinga located on the banks of the Ganges. Varanasi also known... Continue Reading →
Narmada Parikrama: Datta Guru Temple, Garudeshwar Village, Nandod Taluka, Narmada District, Gujarat
One of the most outstanding examples of iconography along the Rewa River (Narmada River) is the Datta Guru Temple also known as Garudeshwar Datta Mandir in Garudeshwar village. Garudeswar village lies to the south of Tilakwada and east of Rajpipla and is a part of the important Narmada Parikrama. Thousands of devotees walk barefoot visiting... Continue Reading →
Virateshwar Temple, Sohagpur Banganga, Shahdol District, Madhya Pradesh
'Poetry in stone' best describes the ancient Virateshwar Temple in Shahdol district renowned for its religious and spiritual potency. As the name suggests, Lord Shiva is worshipped here as Virateshwar, an embodiment of the entire gamut of creation. According to the priest and locals, the mere darshan of Lord Virateshwar helps one to experience the Supreme... Continue Reading →
Narmada Parikrama: Kuber Bhandari Shiva Temple, Karnali Village, Dabhoi Taluka, Vadodara District, Gujarat
One of the most important tirthasthalas along the Rewa River is the ancient temple of Kuber Bhandari Shiva in Karnali village. People often stop over at the 'City of Temples', Chandod located at the Triveni Sangam of Saraswati, Narmada and Orsang rivers before proceeding to Kuber Bhandari Temple by boat. Legend has it that Lord... Continue Reading →
Kherat Brick Temples, Kherat Village, Ater Tehsil, Bhind District, Madhya Pradesh
One of the finest examples of the Post Gupta period is the Kherat brick temples located in the sleepy village of Kherat in Bhind district. According to historians, Bhind region has been mentioned in both the Ramayana and Mahabharat wherein it is believed that Lord Rama spent a great deal of time here during his... Continue Reading →
Hinglajgarh Fort, Navali Village, Bhanpura Tehsil, Mandsaur District, Madhya Pradesh
Located deep in the dense forest of the Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary in the geologically significant tehsil of Bhanpura in West Malwa on the border of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan is the important monument and temple site of the fort of Hinglajgarh. This fort has a rich and glorious ancient history that is marred by the tragic events... 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 →
On the history trail: Nadir Shah invited to invade India by the Mughal Invaders
If ever awards for stupidity were to be handed out, it is highly likely that Aurangzeb would confer one for himself and award the rest to his incompetent descendants. By the end of his reign, Aurangzeb who had waged war with the Marathas for twenty-five years and had only pyrrhic victories to his credit undid... Continue Reading →
On the history trail: Tulja Bhavani and The Battle of Pratapgad
The capture of the hill forts of Purandar, Kalyan and Bhiwandi and the death, ruin and defection of feudatories like the Mores of Javli and the Sawants of Wadi respectively effected by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and his able aides brought the crippling Bijapur kingdom to its knees. The construction of the new hill fort of... Continue Reading →
Kurumbera Fort, Gaganeshwar Village, Paschim Medinipur District, West Bengal
An interesting fort complex built during the glory days of Bengal relegated to obscurity is the Kurumbera Fort which is at a little distance from Kharagpur. Kurumbera Fort which derives its name from kurum which means stone and bera which means fence and collectively means an area fenced by stone in the local language is located in the historically... Continue Reading →
Santipore Saree of West Bengal
One of the most exquisite weaves in cotton and silk is found in the Bengal heartland of Shantipur - Phulia. Called as Shantipuri, this centuries-old tant (traditional Bengali saree) derives its name from Shantipur in Nadia district. The ancient handloom industry in Shantipur has been mentioned in manuscripts glorifying the life of Advaita Acharya as... Continue Reading →
