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Pilgrimage
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VARANASI-The
sacred city
To
the Hindus,
Varanasi,
Sprawling along the left bank of the
river ganga, is the holiest city. With its
array of shrines Temples and Palaces rising
in several tiers from the water's edge,
Varanasi is one of the most facinating
cities in the east. It is also a city of
fairs and festivals, celebrating about four
hundred of them during the year. Since time
immemorable, Varanasi has been a centre of
learning and the tradition is kept alive
today by the
Banaras
Hindu University
founded in 1916.
Sightseeing
of Varanasi includes visiting
Bharat
Mata Temple, Durga Temple, Emperor Aurangzeb
Mosque, the sacred bull, the well of
knowledge
vishwanath
Temple, Banaras Hindu University
with its marble shiva temple, brocade
and saree shops and drive through the Bazaar.
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Chitrakoot
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Chitrakoot
"the hills of many wonders",
nestles peace in the northern spurs of the
Vindhyas a place of tranquil forest glades
and quiet rivers and streams where calm and
repose ground, blessed by the gods and
sanctified by the faith of pilgrims.
What
to See
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Ramghat
: The ghats that line of the river Mandakini
reveal a constantly moving and change
kaleidoscope of religious activity.
Kamadgiri
: Kamadgiri, the original Chitrakoot, is a
place of prime religious significance. A
forested hill, it is skirted all along its
base by a chain of temples. The Bharat Milap
temple is located here,marking the spot
where Bharat is said to have met Rama.
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Janaki
Kund : Upstream from Ramghat is a
serenly beautiful sketch of the Mandakini, a
symphony of nature in tones of earth-brown
and leaf-green, the intense blue waters
finding a paler echo in the canopy of the
sky.
Sati
Ansuya: It is located further
upstream, set amidst thick forests that
resound to the melody of birdsong all day.
It is here that Atri Muni, his wife Ansuya,
and their three sons (who were incarnations
of Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh), are said to have
meditated.
Sphatik
Shila: A few kilometers beyond
Janaki Kund is again a densely forested area
on the banks of the Mandakini. One can climb
up to the boulder which bears the impression
of Rama`s footprint and where Sita was
pecked at, by Jayant in the form of a crow.
Gupt-Godavari
: 18 km from the town by road is
a natural wonder located some distance up
the side of a hill. It is believed that Rama
and his brother Lakshman held court in the
latter cave, which has two natural, throne
like rocks.
Hanuman
Dhara : Located on a rock-face
several hundred feet up a steep hillside is
a spring, said to have been created by Rama
to assuage Hanuman when the latter returned
after settling Lanka afire.
Bharat
Koop : It is where Bharat stored
holy water collected from all places of
pilgrimage in India. |
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Char-Dham
The
source of two rivers, Gangotri and Yamunotri
are devoted to the female deities- Ganga and
Yamuna. They both along with the Badrinath
and Kedarnath form the Chardham of the
Uttarakhand ( Dev
Bhumi - land of the Gods).
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Badrinath
Badrinath
is one of the four Dhams of the country and
is situated at an elevation of 3133 mtrs.
above sea level,guarded on either side by
the two mountains ranges known as Nar
and Narayan
Parvat with the towering Neelkanth peak
providing a splendid backdrop. Facing the
temple at the bank of Alaknanda
river there ia a hot water spring known as
Taptkund. The principle idol in the temple
is of black stone and represents Vishnu
seated in meditative pose, and flanked by
Nar-Narayan.
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The
famous places to visit are :- Tapt
Kund, Shesnetre, Neelkanth Peak,
Charanpaduka, Mata Murti Temple, Mana
Temple, Alka Puri, Sato Panth, Govindghat,
Joshimath, Auli, Valley of Flowers,
Pipalkoti, Chamoli, Hemkund Sahib.
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Kedarnath
The
Kedarnath shrine, one of the twelve
Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva is a scenic spot
situated, against the backdrop of the
majestic Kedarnath range. At an altitute of
3581 mtrs. it is 14 kms. trek from Gourikund,
Kedar is another name of Lord Shiva, the
protector and the destroyer. Shiva is
considered the embodiment of all passions
Love, Hatred, Fear, Death and mysticism
which are expressed through his various
forms.
The
famous places to visit are :- Shankracharya
Samadi, Vasuki Tal, Gandhisarovar, Sonprayag,
Triuginarayan,.
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Yamunotri
The
shrine of Yamunotri, situated at an
elevation of about 3235 mtr. is a point of
paramount religious importance for Hindus
and an essential pilgrimage. Situated in the
direction opposite to Gangotri, the road
bifurcates from a place called Dharasu, some
where between Rishikesh and Uttarkashi and
goes on to Yamunotri. The shrine can also be
visited via Mussoorie and Barkot. The
Yamunotri temple has a black marble idol of
Goddess Yamuna.
The
famous places to visit are :- Lakhamandal,
Surya Kund, Divya Shila, Jankichatti,
Hanumanchatti, Sayanachatti, Chamba.
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Gangotri
This
sacred shrine, situated at an altitute of
3200 mtrs. is the source of the river
Bhagirathi. It is surrounded by the mountain
peaks of Shivling,
Satopanth and Bhagirathi
Sisters. accessible by a motorable road it
is one of the most pious Hindu pilgrimages.
The
famous places to visit are :-
Gaumukh Trek, Nandanvan, Tapovan, Uttarkashi,
Kedar Tal, Bhairon Ghati, Harsil, Sat Tal.
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Location
Amritsar is 280 miles from Delhi and only 16
miles from Wagha,
an outpost of the Indo-Pakistan border. With
a population of about 4,00,000 and a number
of educational institutions, business
enterprises, industrial concerns, banks,
hotels, parks and restaurants, Amritsar
still remains the largest and the most
important city of Punjab.
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The
city was founded by Guru Ramdas
Sahib, the
fourth Guru of the Sikhs, in the late 16th
century, who also built a magnificent temple
to serve as a central place of pilgrimage
for the Sikhs. The design of the shrine
included the construction of a tank round
the proposed temple. The site lay in
picturesque surroundings where the
congregations met for prayer and contributed
voluntary labour to build the tank under the
personal guidance of the Guru. Later, the
place grew to be a sprawling town.
It
was the fifth Guru, Guru Arjan Dev Sahib,
who developed the shrine and the town on a
larger scale. He built a beautiful temple,
in the middle of the sacred tank, which is
better known as the Golden Temple today.
Hazrat Sheikh Mian Mir, a Muslim saint, who
was a great friend and admirer of the guru,
laid the foundation stone of this temple. By
this time guru Arjan Dev finished compiling
the Sikh scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib,
which was placed in the temple with great
reverence. Devotional hymns from the holy
book are recited daily and thousands of
people come here for spiritual solace.
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Places
to visit
The Golden
Temple is, by far, the biggest
attraction of Amritsar. The Sikhs call it Hari
Mandir (the temple of the Lord) or Darbar
Sahib(the court divine). The Temple,
surrounded by the sacred tank, presents a
lovely sight when its glimmering reflection
is caught by the ripples dancing around it.
At night the Temple and the causeway leading
up to it are brightly lit. The temple is an
imposing three-storey structure, the top
being a canopied gilded dome surrounded by
golden turrets. The inside of the Temple
contains the filigree and enamel work in
gold, which is a rare specimen of its kind.
On special occasions such as the birthday
anniversaries of the Gurus and on Diwali
night, the Golden Temple is attractively
illuminated and presents a feast of colour
and light. Huge crowds assemble there to
witness these illuminations. Among the
buildings near the Golden
Temple, the Akal Takht or the
Immortal Throne and the tower of Baba Atal
are of special interest to a visitor. |
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Jallianwala
Bagh
The Jallianwala Bagh is located about a
quarter of a mile from the Golden Temple. It
is the Memorial which commemorates the
sacrifices of hundreds of men, women and
children who were victims of ruthless firing
of the British forces. The incident took
place on April 13, 1919, when thousands of
people had gathered in Jallianwala Bagh to
voice their feelings against the repressive
policies of the British Government. General
Dyer tried to silence the gathered crowd
with volleys of bullets which, according to
official estimates, took a toll of 397 lives
and wounded another 1,200 persons. The
Jallianwala Bagh massacre accentuated
political awakening in India and
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Mahatma
Gandhi to the forefront of Indian political
life. The bullet marks can be seen to this
day on the boundary walls of the garden.
Jallianwala Bagh has been turned into a
spacious and well-laid park where people
from all parts of the country come to visit.
The
historic Rambagh Garden outside the City is
a big attraction in the evenings when people
throng its green parks to relax and breathe
fresh air. This garden is laid out in the
pattern of Shalimar Bagh at Lahore. Several
clubs operate in the Garden which also
houses the well-known summer Palace of
Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
Durgiana
Temple
A partial replica of the Golden Temple, the
Durgiana temple is situated outside the
Lohgarh Gate. It is dedicated to the Goddess
Durga and is frequented by devout Hindus. |
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Khalsa
College & Guru Nanak Dev University
The
Khalsa College was founded in 1892 and was
built on a grand scale in typical Sikh
architecture. Its distinguished alumni
include eminent sportsmen, servicemen,
administrators and professionals. A new
University called the Guru Nanak Dev
University has been established here. It has
become distinguished for including modern
curricula and has etched its name on the
sports map of India. |
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Harike
Wetland
The Harike Wetland Lake formed at the point
of confluence of the rivers Beas and Sutlej
at Harike ford. Situated mid-way between
Amritsar and Ferozepur, it was declared a
national wildlife sanctuary in 1982. It is a
winter home to more than 350 species of
birds from as far away as China, Siberia,
Afghanistan and Pakistan. |
Dwarika
Dham
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Dwarka
is an important city for Hindu
Pilgrimage. This was the kingdom of Lord
Krishna. The entire city was
revealed by marine excavations. The
city is famous for the Dwarkadish
temple or Jagat Mandir. Dwarka
has fine stretches of beach and though
crowded by pilgrims one can always
find quiet spots too. Large number of
birds could be seen on the coast.
There is a small island covered with
temples, a white beach, coral reefs
and extensive marine life. Dolphins
and porpoise can be seen surfacing to
breathe, sea turtles, octopus, star
fish, sea urchins etc. inhabit the
beach |
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