Oldest living City in the World

Varanasi (also called Benares) is the oldest living city in the world.
I lived and worked in Varanasi for two years, but that was over 25 years ago.

After that, I have visited Varanasi on and off.

Varanasi has changed, as all modern cities have, for the worse.
In those days, we lived in a small apartment, close to Dasashwamedh Ghat, the most popular ghat (bank) of the river Ganges.

We used to drop our two sons at the bus stop for their school bus to pick them up, walk down to the Ganges river every morning, stroll along the ghats (all the ghats are connected to each other) and meander through the narrow lanes bordering the river.

The morning walks used be really fascinating.

We would pass small shops selling all kinds of colourful merchandise.

Bulls sitting or standing in the narrow lanes completing blocking the way.

But they neither disturbed any one nor felt the least disturbed when any one pulled them or pushed them to one side to pass through.

Lots of temples, pundits (priests), devotees, pilgrims, tourists and mere idlers like us.
The most fascinating thing about Varanasi was that no one seemed to be in a hurry.

Everyone had plenty of time to stand and stare and enjoy life.

Even many of those who had to go to office, ritually went to the river every morning, did some exercises, had an oil massage, took a dip in the holy river and visited one of the numerous temples.

So deep was this practice imbibed in many, that if they were in Varanasi, it was impossible to wean them away from this morning ritual.

For them, this was the most essential part of life.
Once we had a very strange experience.

My wife fell sick for quite a few days.

We could not go down to the river.

Then a strange thing happened.

It suddenly started raining.

And the river started swelling.

The area started getting flooded.

The river crossed its banks and came right up to the place where we stayed.

For some time, we sat with our feet immersed in the water.

After that, the water gradually receded.

This could be pure coincidence.

But someone had predicted that since we were not able to go to the river, the river would come to us.
History

There is no doubt that Varanasi is a very ancient town. It is much older than Rome.Old Rome has gone down the pages of history.

But Varanasi has not only survived, but prospered.
According to mythology, Varanasi was created by Lord Shiva.

We find mention of Varanasi in the epic Mahabharata and in our ancient scripture Skanda Purana.
Buddha arrived in Sarnath on the outskirts of Varanasi in 500 BC.

Even then it was a prosperous city.
The original name of Varanasi was Kashi from the word ‘Kasha’ meaning bright.

The present name is a combination of two words – Varuna and Assi, the two rivers on the north and south of Varanasi.
Even now, many Hindus believe that if they die in Varanasi, they will reach Heaven.

There are a number of old homes whether the aged come to live and spend their last days.

Culture
Varanasi has given the world its unique style of classical Hindustani music and has produced such eminent poets, writers and musicians as Kabir, Ravi Das, Munshi Premchand, Jaishankar Prasad, Acharya Ram Chandra Shukla, Pandit Ravi Shankar, Hariprasad Chaurasia and Ustad Bismillah Khan.
Tulsidas wrote his Ramcharitmanas here.

Gautam Buddha gave his first sermon at Sarnath.
What to see
Temples
Varanasi is a city of temples.

Kashi Vishwanath Temple, the shrine of Jyotirlinga, is the most sacred shrine of Lord Shiva in India.

The original temple was destroyed by Emperor Aurangzeb who built a mosque in its place.

The present temple was rebuilt near the mosque in 1780 by Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore.

In 1839, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the ruler of Punjab, donated gold to guilt the two domes of the temple with gold.
The Ghats

There are several interconnected ghats along the river.

Visit them in the morning or evening.

You will sense the fervour of the place.
Gyan Vapi Mosque

This mosque was constructed in the 17th century on the old temple by Emperor Aurangazeb.
Banaras Hindu University

The sprawling Banaras Hindu University is a great centre of higher education.

It is the largest residential university in India and the only university with a Hindu temple inside.

Man Mandir
The old palace of the Maharaja of Jaipur with a astronomical observatory.
Sarnath (10 kms from Varanasi)

Buddha gave his first sermon here.

The 110 ft. tall Damekh Stupa marks the place where Buddha preached his first sermon.

Later, Mauryan Emperor Ashoka erected magnificent stupas and other buildings and the famous stone pillar.

This place is visited by Buddhists from all over the world.
Reaching there
Air

Varanasi has an airport with direct flights from New Delhi, Kolkatta, Mumbai and other places.
Rail

Varanasi is an important railway station.

The city is linked by trains with all metros and major cities across the country – New Delhi (760 Kms.), Mumbai (1509 Kms.), Kolkatta (735 Kms.), Chennai (1970 Kms.), Lucknow (286 Kms.).

Road

Varanasi is connected with all the major cities by good motorable, all-weather roads.
Best Season
Varanasi is hot in summer.

The best time to visit Varanasi is between September and November because Varanasi celebrates a lot of festivals during this period.

Recommendation

Visit the oldest living city in the world.

Perhaps you will share the same feeling which brought Gautam Buddha to this place.

Varanasi is famous for its silk zaree saris (silk saree embroidered with pure gold thread) and woollen carpets.

But purchase from a respectable shop.

Varanasi is equally famous for its cheats.

Jyotirlinga Shrine

Visiting Char Dham or the ‘four holy pilgrimages’ – Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri is every devout Hindu’s dream.


Kedarnath

Perched at the head of Mandakini river, 3584 metres above sea level, the Kedarnath Temple is the most important Hindu temple in the Himalayas.
It is also one of the most important Shiva temples in India.
I have visited Kedarnath twice.

The second time, it was in the month of June.
We travelled by car from Delhi via Dehradun and Mussourie.
We reached Gaurikund (14 kms from Kedarnath) around 4 P.M.
The road passes through beautiful mountains.
At times, you can see a river snaking far below.
And you pass over frail looking bridges.

From Gaurikund, you can either walk up, be carried in a basket (for youngsters and aged), hire a palanquin, or ride a pony.
I wanted to walk up.
But since it was getting late, I was coerced into hiring ponies.

The scenery was extremely beautiful.
But the pony tracks were far too narrow, at times just sufficient for a single pony.
On one side of the track would be the mountain face.
On the other, a steep vertical fall.
And whenever I looked down, I was reminded…. that if…..……. the pony slipped, I would land thousands of feet down.

I had never seen a snow fall.
I was hoping we would see snow fall.
But the pony owners told us it was too late for that.
Just two kilometres short of Kedarnath, the sky started turning dark.
Visibility fell rapidly.
And we were covered with what we felt were fluffs of soft cotton.

But these were not fluffs of cotton, but beautiful flakes of snow.
In a few minutes, the sky became completely dark.
We could not see anything beyond a few inches.
Visibility was zero.
Our hands started freezing.

We were just one kilometre from Kedarnath.
Our pony owners told us we must stop.
Because one slip in the darkness meant certain death.

There were no hotels on the way. Mere ‘chattis’ – small shops made of roughly hewn stones stacked on top of one another – where one can have tea, coffee and simple vegetarian meals.
They also keep blankets, pillows, etc. for a night stay.
Even today, some pilgrims prefer to walk the 14 kms.
And they spend the nights in these ‘chattis’.

So we entered a ‘chatti’.
The crackling log fire was more welcome than any five star luxury.
We had some hot tea followed by some good simple meals.
The snow on our clothes melted.
We had not carried any extra clothes.
So we had to take off most of our clothing and hang them up to dry.

There were no beds.
The ground was rocky and uneven.
Icy winds blew in through the holes and crinks between the stones.
We squeezed into some blankets huddling to each other like penguins.

A little past midnight, I ventured outside in my undergarments.
I was in fairy land!
The scene was so enchanting, I did not feel the cold.

All around were beautiful ice clad blue mountains I had read about in fairy tales.
There was no moon, yet visibility was good.
It was one scene, I have never seen again.

Mythology

According to mythology, after the Pandavas defeated the Kauravas in the Kurukshetra war (Mahabharat), they felt guilty of having killed their own brothers and sought the blessings of Lord Shiva to repent for their sins.
But Lord Shiva did not want to bless them and evaded them repeatedly.
Finally, Lord Shiva took refuge at Kedarnath in the form of a bull.

The Pandavas followed him…… relentlessly.
At Kedarnath, Lord Shiva dived into the ground to hide, leaving only his hump on the surface.

The stone hump is the form in which Lord Shiva is worshipped in Kedarnath temple.
The remaining portions of Lord Shiva appeared in four other nearby places and are worshipped there as his manifestations.
The arms appeared at Tungnath; the face at Rudranath; the belly at Madhmaheshwar; and his head with locks of hair at Kalpeshwar.

Kedarnath and these four shrines (Tungnath, Rudranath, Madhmaheshwar and Madhmaheshwar), where different parts of Lord Shiva appeared, are known as Panch Kedar.
There are five holy peaks here. Rudra Himalaya, Vishnupuri, Brahmapuri, Udayagiri -Kanha and Swargarohini.
Swargarohini (meaning Road to Heaven) was used by the Pandavas and Droupadi to reach heaven.
Arjuna did severe penance here to please Lord Shiva and get Pasupata, the most potent weapon.

The Temple

According to mythology, the Pandavas built the original temple at Kedarnath.
Adi Shankaracharya visited Kedarnath during the 8th century A.D. and he built the present temple.

Adi Shankaracharya took his Samadhi in Kedarnath at the young age of 32.
His Samadhi lies just behind the temple.
Beyond this sketchy detail, we don’t have any indication about who built the temple and when.

The present temple is built of large grey stone slabs.
The temple has a ‘Garbha Griha’ the sanctum sanctorum, which contains the image of Lord Shiva in the form of a stone hump (a conical rock formation measuring about five feet by four feet);and a Mandap where pilgrims and visitors gather.                                    

In this form, Lord Shiva is known as Lord Maheswar-Kedareswar

The inner walls of the assembly hall are decorated with figures of various deities and mythological scenes.

Just outside the temple door is a huge and beautiful statue of Nandi (the Bull), Lord Shiva’s vahan.

Time to Visit

Kedarnath temple is surrounded by high mountains.
During the winter months, it is impossible to reach Kedarnath.

In November, Lord Shiva, is carried down from Kedarnath to Ukhimath; and is brought back to Kedarnath in the first week of May.

It is believed that Lord Shiva is worshipped by the lesser gods for six months and the rest of the year by the humans.
May to October is the best season to visit Kedarnath.

Places of Interest

· Chorabhari Tal or Gandhi Sarovar (3 kms).
· Gaurikund (14 kms) – hot springs of medicinal values and a temple dedicated to Gauri.
· Vasuki Tal (6 kms) – this beautiful lake is 4135 m above sea level.
· Triyuginarayan (5 kms from Son Prayag) – this is the mythological place where Lord Shiva married Parvati.
· Gupt Kashi (49 kms) – famous for the temples of Ardhnarishwar and Vishwanathji.
· Ukhimath (60 kms) – winter home of Lord Kedarnath, and the seat of the Rawal (Priest) of Kedarnath during the winter months.
· Panch Kedar – the five most important temples of Lord Shiva in the Garhwal Himalayas.
· Chopta (40 kms from Gopeshwar) – one of the most picturesque spots in the entire Garhwal region. It provides a breathtaking view of Himalayan ranges.
· Deoria Tal – in the early morning, the snow-capped peaks are clearly reflected on the waters of this lake on the Chopta – Ukhimath road.
· The Kedar Massif – is an outstanding massif formed by three major mountains.

Reaching there

Rail

The nearest station is Rishikesh (221 kms).

Road

Kedarnath is connected by road with Delhi (450 km), Haridwar (250 km), Rishikesh (226 km), Kotdwara (256 km), Badrinath (242 km).

Accommodation

Plenty of reasonably good accommodation is available in Kedarnath.

My recommendation

Kedarnath is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Kedar or Lord Shiva.
Even if you are not interested in religion and temples, do visit the Char Dhams.
They are really beautiful places to visit.

The Most revered Temple of Lord Vishnu

Visiting Char Dham or the ‘four holy pilgrimages’ – Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri is every devout Hindu’s dream.

Badrinath also known as ‘Vishal Badri’ is situated on the banks of Alaknanda river – 3,133 metres above sea-level.
This temple is the largest and most popular of the five Badri or Vishnu temples in the Himalayas.

The first time I visited Badrinath was during the initial phases of my training as a civil servant.
Class I officers are selected on the basis of a written examination followed by an interview.

The selected officers comprise an odd assortment – from different regions, with diverse educational backgrounds, coming from different strata of society, representing different cultures, etc.
They are given an orientation training designed to enable them to mix with each other and adjust into the elite bureaucratic set up.

It seems rather strange that the training never did me any good.
Till my last days in service, I could never feel myself any different from the ordinary man.
I was and remained a commoner.
My office was open to everyone and sundry.
I never left my office without meeting the last visitor.

As a part of their training, new entrants to the civil services are sent to different parts of the country.
To see things – first hand!
We were sent to Badrinath and Kedarnath.
The program included a visit to the Jawans (Indian army) in the Mana pass.
From Joshimath, military vehicles and escorts took us into the heights of the Mana village and then onwards to the military camp.

The commander there had arranged a mock battle for us.
Two groups of soldiers fought against each other as they would in real war.
Machine guns rattled.
Shells burst and dense smoke billowed.
There were mock attacks.
The soldiers shrieked and shouted and even fell down stone dead as if they had been hit by a bullet.
The soldiers did their best to show off their acting talents.
And they succeeded.
The battle looked very realistic.

I started taking photographs of the mock battle.
A soldier came up to me, reminded me that we were in a prohibited forward area and asked me to stop.
The Commander (a lieutenant colonel) who was watching from a distance immediately stepped in, asked what the problem was, and gave the green signal. “Go ahead. Sir”, he said.
We tasted the normal lunch which our jawans usually have in the high altitude border areas.

I have visited Badrinath twice after that.

Mythology

Badrinath is mentioned in the Hindu ancient texts.
There was an ancient temple here during the ancient times.
Although the statue is very old, the present temple was built recently.
The statue of Lord Vishnu in Badrinath temple is made of Shaligram stone.
It is in the padmasana or sitting pose.

One legend explains why Vishnu’s statue is in the padmasana pose, rather than in the usual reclining pose.
A sage saw Lakshmi (Vishnu’s wife) massaging the feet of Vishnu.
He rebuked Vishnu.Vishnu came down to Badrinath to perform austerity and meditated for a long time in padmasana pose.

The area around Badrinath attracts yogis who come here for meditation and seclusion.
Another legend says that Shiva and Parvati were residing in Badrinath.
Vishnu came disguised as a small child, crying loudly and disturbed them.
Parvati asked the child why he was crying.
He replied that he wanted Badrinath for meditation.
Shiva and Parvati recognised Lord Narayan in disguise.
They left Badrinath and moved over to Kedarnath.

Adi Shankarachary visited Badrintah in the 8th century.
He retrieved the statue of Badrinarayan from the Alaknanda River where it had been thrown away centuries ago and installed it in a cave near the Tapt Kund hot springs.

The King of Garhwal established the present temple in the sixteenth century.
The temple was badly damaged by the earthquake of 1803.
It was then rebuilt by the Maharaja of Jaipur.
Some authors claim that the temple was built on a former Buddhist temple site.

The Temple

Badrinath temple is flanked by two mountain ranges known as Nar and Narayan.

The majestic Neelkanth peak provides a befitting backdrop.
This area was once carpeted with wild berries which gave it the name ‘Badri Van’, meaning ‘forest of berries’.
The statue of Lord Vishnu is made of Shaligram and depicts him sitting under a badri tree under a gold canopy.
There are fifteen more statues in the temple including statues of Nara & Narayana, Narasimha (the fourth incarnation of Vishnu), Lakshmi, Narada, Ganesha, Uddhava, Kubera, Garuda (the vehicle of Lord Narayan) and Navadurga.

Facing the temple at the bank of Alaknanda river is a hot water spring known as ‘Tapt Kund’. It is supposed to have medicinal properties and curative powers.A bath in this spring is very refreshing. There is a separate tank for women.

Time to Visit

Badrinath is too cold and inaccessible during the winter months.
The temple is closed in November and the statue is moved to nearby Jyotirmath .
The best time to visit Badrinath is between May and October.

General Information

Rail

The nearest station is Rishikesh (293 kms).

Road

Badrinath is connected by road to Rishikesh (293 km), Haridwar (313 km), Kotdwara (325 km), Joshimath (42 km) & Valley of flowers (38 km), Kedarnath (242 km) and Delhi(518 km).

Places of interest

· Mana Village (3 kms) – the last Indian village near the Indo-Tibetan border. Even today, the traditional people here maintain their own way of life.
· Bheem Bridge – this is a natural bridge over the river Saraswathi, near Mana Village, made of a huge boulder.
· Vasudhara Falls – this is a high waterfall 5 kms after Bheem Bridge.
· Satopanth Lake – this beautiful lake full of lotus flowers is 18 km from Mana Village.
· Pandukesar (20 kms) – this is a memorial for the Pandavas. There are two ancient temples with intricate carvings.
· Govind Ghat – 2 kms before Pandukesar, this is the gateway to the Hem Kund Lake and the fabulous Valley of the Flowers. The Hem Kund is 20 kms by foot from here. The Valley of the Flowers is a 17 kms walk.
· Hanuman Chatti – 13 kms before Badrinath – this is a temple. Nearby is a nursery of rare birch trees.
· Kheerau Valley – when you cross the bridge on the Alaknanda River on the way from Hanuman Chatti to Benakuli, you see this extremely beautiful valley. 4 kms from here is the Kheerau village.
· Joshimath (42 kms) – Adi Shankaracharya visited this place in the 18th century and founded the Mutt called Jyotir math or Joshimath.

My recommendation

The statue is considered to be one of eight swayam vyakta keshtras, or self-manifested statue of Vishnu.
A peculiar feature of this temple is that in accordance with the practice started by Adi Shankaracharya, the Rawal, or head priest of this temple, is a Nambudiri Brahmin from Kerala (south India).

Visit the place.
The journey is most enjoyable.
You will forget the hustles and bustles of city life and get immersed in a world of peace and tranquility.

The Birth Place of Ganga

Visiting Char Dham or the ‘four holy pilgrimages’ – Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri is every devout Hindu’s dream.

I stood on the bank of the river Bhagirathi bubbling and gurgling on its 1,500 miles long journey to the oceans.

All around were snow clad mountains.
I took off my clothes to take a dip in the holy river.
I am used to taking chilled shower after a steam or sauna in my gym.

When I entered the river, I shivered.
The water was far more chilly than I was accustomed to.
I shivered very badly.
But after a few minutes, my body adjusted to the coldness and I felt quite comfortable.

At that time, a strange thought crossed my mind.
Many of my foreign friends find it surprising that Indians worship the Ganga (or Ganges river).
Think from an Indian’s point of view.

The river waters the Gangetic plain – an area of 359,400 sq. km., roughly 10 per cent of India’s total landmass – providing the people water for drinking, cooking, washing and agriculture.
Every year, the rains wash down a lot of minerals from the mountains into the river which increases fertility and prosperity of the land.
During the ancient days, when there were few roads and far more dense forests, road journey was hazardous.

The river provided a safe means of transport – free from wild animals and other perils.

In the evening, I attended the temple prayers and aarti.
I had a strange feeling.
I felt the high mountains were looking down upon me – smiling and blessing me.
May be, all this was my imagination.

But many visitors have a similar feeling.
This is what makes the journey to such places so fascinating.

Gomukh

The Ganges River originates amongst the melting snows of a glacier – called Gomukh or Gangotri glacier – in the Himalayas. It is difficult to identify and pin point any particular spot.
But the river’s origin is taken as Gomukh (meaning cow’s mouth) – 18 kms trek from Gangotri.Here, the river comes out of a cave which does look like an open mouth.
Since the last Ice Age, the glacier has been melting and receding due to global warming.
But the rate of melting has doubled since the1970s.

In 1866, the British traveler Samuel Burn travelled up t o Gangotri.
He wanted to visit Gomukh.
But the local people did not allow him to go.
According to Burn, they believed that Gangotri was the holiest place and human interference in Gomukh was non-religious.
Today’s foreign tourists are lucky.
They can travel right up to Gomukh.

Bhagirathi

The river originates as Bhagirathi.
At Devprayag (prayag means a place where two or more rivers meet), another river, the Alaknanda, meets the Bhagirathi.
The two rivers mingle with each other – the name changes to Ganga (or Ganges) and travel onwards.

Gangotri

Gangotri is a small town nestling amongst the Himalayas at a height of 3,042 metres above sea level.
The Goddess Ganga is believed to have descended to the earth at this spot.
The Ganga temple was built on the bank of the Ganga river by a Gurkha General Amar Singh Thapa in the late 18th or early 19th century.

During the winter months, the place becomes inaccessible.
The temple is closed down on Diwali day (November) every year and reopens in May.
During this time, the idol of Goddess Ganga is shifted to Mukhba village, near Harsil.

Mythology

How Ganga came down to earth

According to legend, after slaying the demons on earth, King Sagar decided to perform the Ashwa Megh Yagya to proclam his supremacy to the world.
A horse would be taken around the earth accompanied by the King’s 60,000 sons from Queen Sumati and one son Asmanjas from the second queen Kesani.
Indra, the supreme ruler of the gods, was afraid that if the Yagya was successful, he might lose his throne.

So he wanted to interfere with the Yagya.
He stole the horse and tied it to the ashram of sage Kapil Muni, who was then in deep meditation.
When King Sagar’s sons could not find the horse, they searched everywhere.
Finally, they found it tied near the meditating Kapil Muni.

The sixty thousand and one angry sons of King Sagar stormed the ashram of Kapil Muni disrupting his meditation as Indra had planned.
Kapil Muni was very angry.
He opened his eyes and turned all the sons into ashes.

The only way to bring them back to life was to bring down Goddess Ganga from the Heavens and wash the ashes with the holy water.
Bhagirath, grand son of King Sagar, meditated for a long time to persuade Ganga to come down to the earth.

But the coming down of Ganga would have been too torrential and would have caused colossal damage.
Finally, Lord Shiva agreed to receive Ganga in his large tresses to break her fall.
Ganga descended down to the earth, washed the ashes and all the sons came back to life.

The Bhagirathi ‘Shila’ located near the temple of Ganga marks the spot where Ganga descended on earth from heaven.

Recommendation

Gangotri, the source of the river Ganges and seat of the Goddess Ganga, is one of the four Char Dhams (Four Dhams).
Whether or not you believe in religion or mythology, the Four Dhams are exquisite places.
Visit them for their beauty.
At least for some time, you will forget all your worries and be one with nature.

Gangotri can be reached in a day by road from Rishikesh, Haridwar or Dehradun.
The journey is enchanting.
There are several good places where you can stay.

Grateful thanks:
The photo ‘Beautiful Mountains and Rivers’ has been taken by Amir Jacobi.

The First of the Char Dhams

Visiting Char Dham or the ‘four holy pilgrimages’ – Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri is every devout Hindu’s dream.

When I was very small, my grandmother went on a pilgrimage to Yamunotri, Gangotri, Badrinath and Kedarnath.
The journey was really tedious, involving walking long distances.
The roads, where they existed, were very bad.
There were no proper hotels or eateries on the way.
I don’t remember the exact duration, but it took her almost three months.

The Original Char Dhams (Four Holy Pilgrimages)

Char Dham originally refered to the four holy places, or dhams, established by Adi Shankaracharya in the 8th century.
These places are located in four far-flung corners of India.

Badrinath nestles amidst the Himalayas in the North.
Rameshwaram overlooks the Bay of Bengal in the extreme South.
Jagannath Puri is again located on the Bay of Bengal in the East.
Dwarka floats on the Arabian Sea in the West.

A visit to the Char Dhams used to be a lifelong ambition of every devout Hindu.
It was my mother’s wish, and my readiness to fulfill her wishes, that I visited Adi Shankaracharya’s Char Dhams.

The Chota Char Dhams

Somewhere down the line, Badrinath became the centre of what came to be known as Chota Char Dham – the lesser four dhams.
The original Char Dhams established by Adi Shankaracharya are too far flung.
So the Chota Char Dhams in Uttarakhand in the Himalayas – Yamunotri, Gangotri, Badrinath and Kedarnath – became increasingly popular.

The 1962 Indo China war forced India to improve the border roads.
More and more tourists and pilgrims started travelling to these places.
Around that time, the word Chota dropped out somewhere, and the Chota Char Dham became Char Dham.
Today Char Dham is used for Yamunotri, Gangotri, Badrinath and Kedarnath.

Going there

There are two routes to visit the Char Dham – one is via Mussourie and the other via Haridwar and Rishikesh.
The latter route is far more picturesque.

The Ganges river enters the plains at Haridwar.
And Rishikesh is the undisputed gate way to the Abode of Gods.
Haridwar and Rishikesh are favourite pilgrimage and tourist places, on their own right.

Get hold of a map of India or use the one on this blog.
Open your right palm wide and place it on the map (palm down).
Put your right thumb on Rishikesh.
The four fingers will point at Yamunotri, Gangotri, Badrinath and Kedarnath.
You can see their exact locations and the routes in the map.

Yamunotri

The first of the Char Dham is Yamunotri.
Incidentally, it is also highest of the four.
Yamunotri is the source of the river Yamuna which originates from a frozen lake of ice and the Champasar Glacier 1 km above the temple at an altitude of 4,321 metres.

Champasar Glacier is located on the Kalind Mountain at a height of 4421 metres above sea level.
Access to Champasar Glacier is extremely difficult and normal pilgrims cannot reach it.
This is the reason, Yamunotri temple was built at the present location.

Yamunotri is about a day’s journey from Rishikesh, Haridwar or Dehradun.
The temple is accessible only by a six kilometres walk from Hanuman Chatti and a four kilometres walk from Janki Chatti.
Of course, you can hire ponies and palanquins.

The trek from Hanuman Chetty to Yamunotri is exceedingly picturesque with beautiful views of the snow covered mountains, deep valleys and a number of water falls.

The Temple

The temple of Goddess Yamuna is perched on top of a flank of the Bandar Poonchh peak (3,165 metres above sea level).
The original temple was built by Maharani Gularia of Jaipur in the 19th century, but it was destroyed by the weather and natural elements.
The present temple on the left bank of the Yamuna was constructed by Maharaja Pratap Shah of Tehri Garhwal.
The deity is made of black marble.

Places to see

The chief attraction at Yamunotri is the temple of Goddess Yamuna.
Close by the temple are hot water springs (kunds) gushing out from mountain cavities.
The most important spring is Suryakund.
Devotees boil rice and potatoes by tying them in a piece of muslin cloth and dipping them in these hot water springs.
The cooked rice and potatoes are eaten as ‘prasad’.

Near the Suryakund there is a shila (stone) called Divya Shila, which is worshipped before puja is offered to the deity.
There are a number of thermal springs at Jankichatti (7 kms away).

Recommendation

Adi Shankaracharya’s original Char Dhams are all Vaishnava shrines.

The Himalayan Char Dhams are a mix of three sects – Vaishnava at Badrinath; Shaiva at Kedarnath; and Devi at Yamunotri and Gangotri.
Today, the Char Dham are extremely popular religious and tourist places with all modern amenities.

All the four Dhams become inaccessible during the winter.
Therefore, they are closed down from Diwali (sometime in November) to15 April.
The mountain roads become wet and treacherous during the rainy season.
But the mist and dense swirling clouds only add to the mystic charm.
Spend your next vacation in these places.
You will definitely thank me.

The Holy Sagar Island

When I was a young student in Calcutta, I often heard about Gangasagar (also known as Sagar Island, Sagar Deep or simply Sagar).

There is a popular saying that you can visit all the places of pilgrimages again and again, but you can visit Gangasagar only once.

I fancied Gangasagar was a small mysterious place which would come out of the oceans every year on the annual ‘Makar Sankrati’ festivities held there on the 14th January.
(Don’t ask me how an island can come out of the oceans and later disappear – because no one could ever explain this to me).

I first visited Gangasagar in 1986, to watch the Hailey’s Comet zoom past in the pristine early morning sky there.

The visit was organised by the Sky Watchers Association of Calcutta.

They had selected Gangasagar for the sighting because there was no electricity there.

But there were many other small villages without electricity – nearer to Kolkata.

Probably, the mystique surrounding the island was the reason they selected Gangasagar.

There was no electricity.

A generator provided power for three hours every day.

Even today, a generator powers some areas of the island for three hours every day between 6 and 9 PM.

The second time, I visited Gangasagar on ‘Makar Sankrati’ day, the 14th January, to see the festival.

My younger brother, a senior police officer, was in charge of the police arrangements there.

He invited me to visit the island.

I watched in fascination as he and other police officials worked almost continuously for three days and nights with short spasmodic spells of sleep.

A fire broke out in the fair.

Thick black smoke filled the air.

But the fire brigade quickly moved in and quelled the fire.

This is the largest fair in India – after the Kumbh Mela which is held every 12 years in three different centres – Haridwar, Allahabad and Nasik – by rotation.

But in Gangasagar, the logistic problems are multiplied several times by the fact that the pilgrims have to be ferried to the island.

The boatmen try to overload their boats.

After all, they get this unique opportunity only once a year.

Sometimes, boats collide with one another.

Sometimes, they capsize.

In 2008, the auspicious day spilled over to the 15th January.

The number of pilgrims swelled to 5 lakhs (half a million).

The Island
Gangasagar is a little known island located on the continental shelf of the Bay of Bengal at the confluence of Hooghly river (a tributary of the Ganges River) with the Bay of Bengal – about 150 km south of Kolkata.
Gangasagar does not sink into the sea.

It is quite a large island with an area of about 300 sq km.

It has 43 villages with a population of over 160,000.

There are schools, post office and even a police station.

There are numerous waterways and small rivers.

There are mangrove swamps.

This is also the home of the endangered Royal Bengal Tiger.
The Kolkata Port Trust has a pilot station and a light house here.

The West Bengal government is planning to build a deep water port on the island.
Mythology

According to legend, after slaying the demons on earth, King Sagar decided to perform the Ashwa Megh Yagya to proclam his supremacy to the world.
A horse would be taken around the earth accompanied by the King’s 60,000 sons from Queen Sumati and one son Asmanjas from the second queen Kesani.

Indra, the supreme ruler of the gods, was afraid that if the Yagya was successful, he might lose his throne.

So he wanted to interfere with the Yagya.

He stole the horse and tied it to the ashram of sage Kapil Muni, who was then in deep meditation.

When King Sagar’s sons could not find the horse, they searched everywhere.

Finally, they found it tied near the meditating Kapil Muni.

The sixty thousand and one angry sons of King Sagar stormed the ashram of Kapil Muni disrupting his meditation as Indra had planned.

Kapil Muni was very angry.

He opened his eyes and turned all the sons into ashes.

The only way to bring them back to life was to bring down Goddess Ganga from the Heavens and wash the ashes with the holy water.

Bhagirath, grandson of King Sagar, meditated for a long time to persuade Ganga to come down to the earth.

But the coming down of Ganga would have been too torrential and would have caused colossal damage.

Finally, Lord Shiva agreed to receive Ganga in his large tresses to break her fall.Ganga descended down to the earth through Shiva’s tresses.

King Bhagiratha then preceded the holy river in his chariot and ripped open a gorge through which Ganga could flow.

The river followed Bhagirath to Gangasagar where Kapila Muni livedand washed the ashes.

All the sons came back to life.
Reaching there
To reach Gangasagar, you have to cross the Muriganga river/creek by ferry.

You can take the ferry either from Harwood Point (80 kms from Kolkata) or Namkhana (13 kms more from Harwood Point).

After landing at Sagar Island, you will have to cross the whole stretch of the island (32 kms) by local bus or taxi.

It is possible to travel from Kolkata right up to Gangasagar by car or taxi.

At Harwood Point, the car can cross the river on a barge.
Places to see
· Kapil Muni Temple
· Fair Grounds
· Sea Beach
· Sagar Marine Park
· Sagar Lighthouse and Port at Beguakhali
· Ramkrisna Mission Ashram
· Sushama Devichowdhurani Marine Biological Research Institute. (SDMBRI) at Bamankhali
Accommodation
There are sufficient boarding and accommodation facilities at Gangasagar.

· State Youth Hostel
· Bharat Sevashram Sangha and some other ashrams
· Larica Sagar Vihar (the only hotel)
Recommendation

Gangasagar is a remote, secluded, not much visited spot.

If you are looking for novelty and raw nature – this is the place you should head for.

The West Bengal Government is planning to construct a bridge connecting the mainland with Sagar Island.

The 3.3 kms long bridge is likely to cost around Rs 600 crores.

A feasibility study has already been completed.
Visit the place before the bridge is constructed.

The southern most
of Adi Shankaracharya’s
Four Dhams

Rameswaram is a small town on Pamban Island – an island in South India – separated from the Indian mainland by the Pamban Channel.

Rameswaram is the place used by Lord Rama to cross over to Sri Lanka (Ceylon).Rameswaram is one of the four Char Dhams established by Adi Shankaracharya in the 8th century A.D.

A pilgrimage to Varanasi (Kashi) – famous pilgrimage in North India – is considered incomplete without a pilgrimage to Rameswaram.

For this reason, Rameswaram is a very important and frequented pilgrim centre.

Both the Vaishnavites and Shaivites visit this pilgrimage which is known as the Varanasi of the south.
I visited Rameswaram and found it much more than a religious place.
It is a nature lover’s paradise.

The Pamban Railway Bridge and Indira Gandhi Setu

There are actually two bridges over the Pamban Channel.
The older one is the 6,776 ft (2,065 metres) long cantilever railway bridge which was opened for traffic in 1914.
It still has a functioning vertical lift section that can be raised to let ships pass under the bridge.
It is so low, that from the train, you can literally wash your hands in the sea.

The railway bridge had meter-gauge (narrow gauge) railway tracks.
The Indian Railways upgraded the tracks to broad-gauge in August 2007.
The 2.3 kms long road bridge is also known as Pamban Bridge.

But its real name is Indira Gandhi Setu.
It is the longest sea bridge in India.
The beautiful bridge is located very high up in the sea.

From the middle of the bridge, you get panoramic views of the sea, the scattered islands and the rail bridge far below.

Mythology

Lord Rama built a bridge at Rameswaram – the Ram Setu (also known as Adam’s Bridge) – to cross the sea to Sri Lanka to bring back his wife Sita, from her abductor, Ravana.

This is also the place where Rama worshipped Lord Shiva to be absolved of the sin of killing Ravana.
What is not known is that there is one more legend as to how Adam’s Bridge got its name.

According to this legend, Sri Lanka was the site of the biblical earthly paradise, and Adam’s Bridge was created when Adam was expelled from paradise.

The Shivalinga

After Lord Rama had defeated and killed Ravana, the Rishis (sages) advised Rama to install and worship a Shivalinga at Rameswaram, along with Sita and Lakshman, to expiate the sin of Brahma Hatya (killing of a Brahmin).
(Ravana was a Brahmin – the great grandson of Brahma).

Rama fixed an auspicious time for the installation and worship.
He sent Hanuman to Mount Kailash to bring a linga.
But Hanuman was late, so Sita made a make shift Shivalinga of sand.
By the time Hanuman returned with the linga from Mount Kailash, the puja (worship) was over.
Hanuman was disappointed.

To appease him, Rama also installed the linga brought by Hanuman (Visvalingam) by the side of the sand Ramalinga, and ordered that all rituals should first be performed to the Visvalingam.
In Rameshwaram Temple, you can have “Mani Darshan” (Glimpse of the Mani) early morning every day.
This “Mani” made of “sphatik” (crystal) is in the form of “Shivalinga”.
According to the Hindu texts, this is the “Mani” of “Sheshnag”.

The Temple

The main deity here is in the form of a Shiva Linga with the name Sri Ramanatha Swamy.

The huge temple, built in the Dravidian style of architecture, has the largest temple corridor in India with 1000 beautifully carved granite pillars.

Construction of the temple started in the 12th century.
Different rulers added to the construction of the temple over a period of time.
The temple has 22 wells which are considered sacred.
The water of each well has a different taste.

Places to see around

Sethu Karai

This is a place 22 km from Rameshwaram where Lord Ram built a floating stone bridge – the “Ramasethu”.
The remnants of the Ramasethu are submerged under the sea as shot from Gemini 1 satellite of NASA in 2004.

Dhanushkodi

The southernmost tip of Pamban Island is called Dhanushkodi.
The road ends at a fisherman’s village.
The entire village was completely washed away by a cyclone in 1964.
But the Kothandaramasamy Temple here remained intact.

 Dhanushkodi is 18 kms from Rameswaram.
According to mythology, it was here that Vibishana, brother of Ravana, surrendered before Ram. Dhanushkodi has a fine beach.

On the way to Dhanushkodi, during the winter months, you can see millions of migratory birds, including flamingoes.
Dr. Abdul Kalam, the ex-president of India, comes from Dhanushkodi.

Kurusadai Island

To the south of Rameswaram are dozens of islands.
Kurusadai Island is an uninhabited Island lies to the west of the Pamban Bridge between the mainland and Pamban Island.
10,500 sq. kms of the sea around here constitute a Marine Biosphere, a paradise for Marine Biologists and nature lovers.

There are plenty of coral-reefs and fishes.
You can also see dolphins and sea-cows (Dugong).
Kurusadai Island is about 4 KMs from Mandapam.
But you have to obtain permission from the Director of Fisheries, Chennai.

Recommendation

Large ships cannot navigate through the shallow waters of the strait and have to travel around Sri Lanka.
As early as in 1860, there were suggestions and proposals to dig out a shipping canal.
The present Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project, is mired up in politics and litigation.
Visit Rameswaram.

Apart from being a holy place, it is a paradise for nature lovers.

A Lost Empire

Hampi is today a small hamlet in Karnataka (South India) with a population of about two thousand.
It is difficult to visualise that once upon a time, this was the glorious city of Vijayanagar (meaning City of Victory) – the capital of South India’s largest, prosperous and most beautiful empire.

History

The story of Vijayanagar takes us back to the 14th Century.

In 1310 A.D., Malik Kufur, the famous general of Alla-ud-din Khilji, Sultan of Delhi, swept down the Deccan (South India) with his vast armies, defeating and capturing whatever came his way.

Over the next few years, Malik Kufur ended the rule of the Hoyshala and Yadava kings.
No effective leadership remained.
There was utter confusion.

Local chieftains, officials, descendants of old ruling families and opportunists – all tried to take over power.
During that time, Kampila was the ruler of a minor kingdom of the region.
Kampila was killed in war in 1327 A.D. – creating a vacuum.

Two brothers of the Sangama Dynasty, Hukka (1336-56 A.D.) and Bukka (1356-77 A.D.), who were patronized by the Shankaracharya (Hindu religious head) of Sringeri (Mysore), established the Vijayanagar kingdom in 1336 A.D.
Why the brothers selected Hampi is clear.

It is strategically located.
The tempestuous Tungabhadra River forms a natural barrier on the north.
Rocky granite ridges on the other three sides make the area informidable.

Hukka, and after him Bakka, constructed residential complexes, a large number of temples and started massive fortifications.
They raised large armies and expanded their empire far to the south. But they could not penetrate into the North.
Their successors extended the residential complexes and fortifications.And built still more temples!

Devaraya I (1406-22 A.D.) and Devaraya II (1424-46 A.D.) expanded the kingdom eastward to the Bay of Bengal, and westward to the Arabian Sea. During their rule, the kingdom really became an empire.
Later, Krishnadevaraya (1509-29 A.D.), and after him, his half brother Achyutaraya (1529-42 A.D.) raised Vijayanagar empire to its zenith.

Their successor, Ramaraya, son in law of Krishnadevarya, antagonised the Muslim rulers to such an extent that the rulers of Bijapur, Golkonda, Ahmadnagar and Bidar joined together and attacked him.

On 23 January 1565, Ramaraya was killed in the battle of Talikota (100 kilometres north of Hampi).

This defeat was followed by the worse pillage in history. For more than six months, the victors pillaged, looted and burnt the city. So savage and devastating was the destruction that Hampi could never be established again.

World Heritage

In 1986, Hampi was included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage sites.
Today, Hampi is included in UNESCO’s list of endangered sites.
An international team of archaelogists has been working on the site since 1981.
But a lot still remains to be done.

The central part of the township covered an area of about 26 square kilometres.
There were massive walls all round the town.
Hampi had one of the most advanced irrigation systems.
Water from the Tungabhadra River
was used to irrigate the fields.
Agriculture was very good.
The entire metropolis stretched over an area of over 600 square kilometres.

Virupaksha Temple

We can start our sojourn from the Virupaksha temple dedicated to Lord Shiva who is also known as Virupaksha or Pampapathi.
We enter through a gate in the 50 metres high outer tower or gopura.The present tower is imposing, but not very old.

Most of it was constructed during the 19th century.

 If you are fortunate, you may be garlanded by the temple elephant much like the Kings used to be welcomed on their return from the various wars they fought.

As we enter, just in front is the coronation hall or mandapa.
The hall has finely carved pillars and paintings on the roofs.
This hall was built by Krishnadevaraya on his coronation in 1510 A.D. and represents true Vijayanagar architecture.
The hall leading to the sanctum sanctorum – the place where the deity is located – has finely carved columns with animals.
This temple is still in use.

There are smaller shrines dedicated to the Goddessess Pampadevi and Bhuvaneshvari and there is the customary temple tank.

To the west of the temple is the Hampi Bazar (market) – a 100 metres long and 35 metres wide market which at one time was flanked on both sides with beautiful houses.
In its days of glory, this was a crowded place.
Apart from fruits, vegetables, meat, cloth and other items of daily necessity, diamonds, pearls, emeralds and rubies were sold here.
Today, it serves much the same purpose.
There are shops selling merchandise of all kinds.

And if you look carefully, in the modern shops and houses, you will discover little remnants of ancient constructions.

The Vithala Temple

The most splendid monument of Hampi is the Vithala Temple Complex.
The 56 pillars in the main hall produce musical notes when struck. To the east of the hall is the famous Stone Chariot with stone wheels that actually revolve!

Hampi is full of such surprises like the King’s Balance, where ruling kings were weighed against grain, gold or money which was then distributed to the poor.

Or the Queen’s Bath, with its arched corridors, projecting balconies and lotus – shaped fountains.

Or the Lotus Mahal in the ‘Zenana’ enclosure – beautiful two-storied place with recessed archways set in geometric regularity and opening out to the sun and the wind like the petals of a flower.

The imposing Elephant Stables have arched entrances and domes.

In the Royal Enclosure of the city is the Hazara Rama Temple.

                  There are several other
                  beautiful images
                  and structures.

Across the Tungabhadra river, in Anegondi, is another complex of ruins that has many small temples.

How to get there

Air

The nearest Airport is Bellary (74 kms).
Other convenient airports are at Belgaum (190 kms), Hubli (160 kms) and Bangalore(353 kms).

Rail

The nearest station is Hospet (13 kms).
Hospet is linked by rail to Bangalore, Bijapur, Hubli and Guntakal.

Road

Hampi is 350 kms from Bangalore.
The road is very good.

Recommendation

Visit the wonderful ruins.
They will transform you into the remote past.

 click here to read some one else’s experience in Hampi