About 400 kilometres from Mumbai lies one of the greatest wonders of ancient India,a collection of about 63 caves in total, which are known as the Ajanta and Ellora caves, dating back to 2nd century BC. These caves are carved into a hillside rock in the middle of nowhere. These caves can be separately divided into Ajanta Caves which are 29 in number and the Ellora Caves which are 34 in number. The Ajanta caves date back to around 2nd century BC and 6th century AD and the Ellora caves around 6th and 11th centuries AD.
The Ajanta caves are considered to be the finest masterpiece of Buddhist art and architecture. These caves are manmade and have beautiful paintings on its walls and ceilings which depict various life events of Buddha. A visit to this place transports you back to the golden era of ancient Indian civilisation. These caves stand testimony to the rise and spread of Buddhism, which today is one of the most important and popular religion of the world.
There are a total of 29 caves which has almost all the information about Buddhism right from the time of its inception. It presents to you the true faces of Buddhist art and architecture and its influence at that time. Buddhist monks and religious devotees used to live and work here for more than 800 years. These caves were discovered by a British Captain, John Smith in the year 1819 during a hunting expedition. Today these caves are UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Ellora caves were built by the rulers of Rashtrakuta Dynasty and represent the epitome of Indian Rock Cut architecture. These caves have been excavated out of the Charanandri hills. In these caves one can find the Buddhist, Hindu and Jain rock cut temples, viharas and mathas. The division of caves are as follows – 12 Buddhist, 17 Hindus and 5 Jain caves. These caves are a great example of the religious harmony that existed during the olden days.
These caves are locally known as ‘Verul Leni’ and is the single largest monolithic excavation in the world which is the Cave number 16, the great Kailasa. These caves have been hewn out of the volcanic basaltic formation. Out here you can also view the channels through which the volcanic lava once flowed. These caves hold a great significance in Indian history and have been inhabited since time immemorial. Today these caves are managed by the Archaeological Survey of India and are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
This site can be reached through numerous ways. To reach the Ellora caves the nearest railway station is in Aurangabad, about 45 minutes away and for the Ajanta Caves it is at Jalgaon, about 1.5 hours away. The nearest airport is at Aurangabad. One can hire a taxi and visit these caves at the same time. The travelling distance between the two caves is around 2 hours.
Best time to visit –June to March
Visiting timings – 9 am till 5:30 pm. Ajanta caves are closed on Mondays and Ellora caves are closed on Tuesdays.
Majuli is considered to be one of the largest river islands in the world.This scenic island is surrounded by Brahmaputra River in the south and to its north is Khrkutia Xuti which is merged by another river called Subansiri. The island is located in the state of Assam, covering over a distance of about 1,250 sq km. The meaning of the name ‘Majuli’ is the land between two parallel rivers. The island is under the UNESCO World Heritage status. Majuli is located at a distance of around 12 km from Jorhat town and around 310 km from the city of Guwahati.
Attractions
The Majul Island is one of the scenic destinations in Assam. As it is that Assam is known for its rich culture, which attracts thousands of tourists to this state around the year, the island is also known for its fascinating cultural celebrations. While on a tour on this island, you will witness many cultural exhibitions. These exhibitions will give you the information into to the cultural style of the state and will also offer you a unique opportunity to taste of the traditional dishes of Assam. Majuli hold a clean environment, which is well complimented by the beautiful art and the craftsmanship of the area.
One of the important celebrations of the place is the Majuli festival, which also includes a special event and the event is participated by several cultural troupes from different parts of Assam. Paal Naam celebrated at Auniati Satra, is one of the biggest fairs of the area. Another significant festival of the island is the Bathow Puja, which is celebrated by the Sonowal Kachari tribe, in honour of Lord Shiva. The Ali-ai-ligang festival is also very much popular among the natives of this region.
Majuli is also renowned for its 22 primeval Vaishnava Satras, which were founded by the renowned saint, Sankardeva. The saint is regarded as the father of Assamese culture. During the 15th century the saint resided in Majuli and established the initial Satra in the island. The Satras that are found around the state are managed by a guru and few sub-gurus who are elected through a formal process.
The locals of this island are very hospitable and some of the major attractions of the island are the places like Dakhinpat Satra, vaishanva Satra, Garamurh Satra etc.
Best Time to Visit
As most of the festivals and cultural events are witnessed during the months of October to March, the period during these months is regarded as the appropriate time to visit the Majuli island of Assam.
Accommodation
The place has very limited option for accommodation; still the ones that you will on this island are very much comfortable for staying. The Government Inspection Bungalow, Satras and the Circuit House are among the top options to be opted at this place. Note that the bookings of these places of accommodation are to be made in advance.
How to Reach
By Air: The nearest airport to this island is Rowriah airport in Jorhat. The airport is well connected with places like Shillong and Kolkata. Regular bus services and hired taxi services are available from the airport to Nimati Ghat, from where you got to board a ferry to Majuli Island. The jetty operates ferry services for five times in a day and it takes around 60-90 minutes to get to the place.
By Train: The nearest railway station to this place is in Jorhat, which is well connected with the station in Guwahati. Guwahati railway station operates regular trains to several major cities in India. Tourists can find regular taxi and bus services outside the Jorhat station to get to the Nimati Ghat.
By Road: The nearest major town to this island is Jorhat. The town is well connected through road with Guwahati and many other major parts within the state of Assam. One can opt for a ferry ride from the Jorhat town itself or even get to the Nimati Ghat from the town in order to get to the island. The distance between the town and the Ghat is around 12 km, by road.
Panhala Fort is one of the important historic sites of Maharashtra.The fort is situated in Pahhala, at a distance of about 20 km towards northwest of Kolhapur in Maharashtra. This fort has been strategically structured over a pass in the Sahyadri mountain range, which in the ancient times, was a chief trade route from Bijapur in to the interior coastal areas of Maharashtra. Due to the strategic location of this fort, it was ruled under various different rulers like the Marathas, Mughals and finally the British. The fort was given its name by Shivaji during his rule.
One entire day is enough to explore the entire Panhala and it can be easily done while walking on foot. On reaching this place, the first thing we did was to hire a local guide in order to get better information of the historical spots in this area. We did not want to miss any information about the monuments of this place, as each and every monument of this place has a story of its own to tell about the bygone era. On reaching the fort we noticed that the one half of the fort is protected by a long and steep slope, which is further fortified by high parapets.
The other half of the fort is protected by a wall of huge and strong stones. The guide informed us that in its early period, the fort had three strong double walled entrances, out of which two still remains intact. The Char Darwaza, located on the eastern side of the fort was destroyed during the British attacks. The Teen Darwaza is located in the western side of the fort and on it we could see many scars of the historical attacks that this fort withstood.
After crossing the Teen Darwaza, we entered Andhara Bavai, which is a steep well. On entering this well, our guide informed us that when an enemy army enters the fort, their first aim is to poison the main source of water of the fort. In order to counter this, Adil Shah had built Andhara Bavai, which is a hidden well. It is a three storey structure with winding staircases that hides the well and protects the main source of water of the fort. There are several places in the wall of this well where the soldiers can be permanently stationed in order to protect it from any enemy entrance. On exploring the Andhata Bavai, we also came across several escape routes that led outside the fort.
Among the three entrances, the second one which is still intact is Wagh Darwaza. It is the easiest way to enter the fort and hence was guarded by a tiger according to the guard. Thus the name Wagh is given to this entrance, which means tiger in Marathi.
On the eastern side of the fort, is another one storey structure called Sajja Kothi. Our guide informed us that such a name was given to this building, as Shivaji’s son Sambhaji was kept on house arrest at this place. One can also enjoy a scenic view of the Kolhapur valley from this place. Close to this Kothi is another kothi called Daru Kothi, where weapons were stored during the early times.
Another kothi in this fort is Dharma Kothi, which was an additional place to store grains. This kothi has been given such a name because the kings use to offer free grains to the fakirs and the beggars from this place. At present, Panhala police station has been installed at this building.
Ambar Khana is another granary of the fort, which is located at the center of the place. There are three other granaries, which are called Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati. These granaries were structured to survive long attacks by the enemies. These three granaries could stock up to 50,000 tons of rice, jowar and bajra, respectively.
Finally our trip to this fantastic historical fort ended in the colorful botanical garden. This beautiful garden gave us a good opportunity to rest our tired legs amid the colorful species of flowers blossoming at this place. We then decided to head towards our home after observing a romantic view of sunset at the sunset point, Pusati Buruj.
Best Time to Visit
As the region experiences pleasant climate throughout the year, there is no specific time to visit the fort.
Accommodation
Panhala has very few options for accommodation with limited budget hotels and lodges. If you want better places to stay, Kolhapur is the best option, located close to this place, which is dotted with numerous budget as well as luxury hotels.
How to Reach
By Road: The fort can be easily accessed through road by regular bus services from Kolhapur to Panhala. One can also opt to hire rickshaws to Panhala from Kolhapur. Another nearest place to Panhala is Sangli, which is located at a distance of about 55 km and from where you will get taxis, private vehicles, as well as public and private buses to this place.
By Air: The nearest airport to this fort is Ujalaiwadi airport in Kolhapur, located at a distance of about 31 km from Panhala.
By Rail: The nearest railway station to this fort is Kolhapur railway station, located at a distance of about 21 km from Panhala.
We were a bit disheartened because of the spoiled weather as we set our foot on Madurai.It had been raining on and off ever since we reached the place. But the rain could not dither our will to visit Thirupuramkunram, a cave temple dedicated to Lord Muruga. Our trip to this place was particularly made to visit this temple, as it is one of the six abodes of Lord Muruga. Among the six temples this temple is a special one as it was over here that the Lord got married with Deivayanai, the daughter of Indra, who according to the Hindu mythology is regarded to be the king of heaven.
As we reached the religious site, we were awe-struck by the sheer magnificence of the temple. A tall gopura stood amidst the rocky landscape, as we looked at it from a distance. The temple is carved into a huge hillock, involving several mandapas. According to the legends the temple was converted into a Jain shrine and again reconverted into a Hindu shrine. Even though the temple seemed to be timeless, the inscriptions verified it to belong to the 7th century Pandya period, while the gigantic sculptures of the temple dated back to Nayaka era. We got ourselves in the queue of the devotees who were already lined up to enter the temple and pay homage to the deity.
As we stepped out of the temple, we came to notice that the rain which had stopped earlier had again started to come down. We also noticed some peacocks standing on the small hillocks of the place. The peacock is said to be the favorite vehicle of Lord Muruga. As we walked around, we found a broad pathway lined with dense trees on the both sides. The rain started pouring down heavily so we took a flight of steps that led us to a small cave temple. As we reached the spot, we found it to be empty except for the presence of peacocks and monkeys who were merrily enjoying the rain.
This small cave temple dedicated to Umai Andar stood on the rocks. A small flight of steps led us to the mandapam or the hall, which involves some striking ancient sculptures. In the center of the hall stands the main deity of the temple, Natraja along with his wife Sivakami. The outer walls of the temple are carved with the images of Ganesha and the three Saiva saints.
As the evening passed away, it slowly became dark. We could only hear our own echoes inside the cave and suddenly one of the walls got lit up. Then a local guide walked towards us with a torch in his hand. Directing the light of the torch he showed us a sculpture, explaining it to be of Lord Shiva in the form of ‘Arthanareeswarar’. As we observed the sculpture under the light of the torch, we noticed that it is the combination of Shiva and Parvati, carved together in one form.
The guide helped us with some more information by telling us that this Pandya temple is protected under ASI and was probably a Jain cave, which was later transformed, as according to the inscriptions on a rock close to a tree. He further added that initially the cave served as a monastery for the Jain saints who resided in these hills.
Some more inscriptions in the temple referred to the 13thcentury Pandya ruler, Sundara Pandiyan. These incriptions said that a Siava saint, under the aid of the king, converted this Jain monument into a temple and named it ‘Sundara Pandian Eswarar’ Temple after the emperor. It is believed that the temple was destroyed in the 14th century during which the region experienced several wars.
The guide further informed us that as Jainism richly prospered during the early centuries in Madurai, the region was dotted with more than 25 such cave temples along with inscriptions. Some of these cave temples are located in Kongarpuliyankulam, Anaimalai, Arittapatti, Tiruvadavur, Samana Malai, Tirumalai and many other places.
The carvings of Saiva saints outside the temple stands prove to the temple being converted into Saivism. One of the carvings also show the Sambadar saint sitting on a pedestal, as it is believed that he had influenced the Pandya ruler away from Jainism. In the later years, the temple was used as a bunker during the wars by Sikandar Shah. That it is why it is also referred as Sikandar Malai.
The rain started pouring down more intensely with the leaves of the trees starting to dance in the rhythm of the pouring rain and blowing wind. Thus we set ourselves to return back to our destination, realizing that how little we knew about our own cultural heritage.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
