Of tranquil ashrams on river Ganges

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                 On the banks of Ganges in Rishikesh

 

 

Lying in Tehri-Garhwal district of Uttarakhand, Rishikesh is nearly 25 km from Haridwar and one can visit the destination by road or rail. Rishikesh on the foothills of Shivalik range has scores of ashrams in the name of great sages of India and dharamshalas.

     

     

                            

              Ram Jhoola at Muni-ki-Reti, Rishikesh

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

During my previous visit to Rishikesh back in early 80’s, I had visited Lakshman Jhula, so this time, I had made up my mind to travel to Ram Jhoola at Muni-ki-Reti. The ghats on the banks of river Ganges are clean and form the best place to get steeped in meditation.

Swarg Ashram

 

Swarg Ashram

 

One of the earliest ashrams of Rishikesh, Swarg Ashram is dedicated to the reputed saint, Baba Kali Kamli Wale Atma Prakash Ji Maharaj. I entered the ashram to view the statues of four great sages of ancient India- Vasisht, Shankracharya, Tulsidas and Ved Vyas.

Gita Bhawan

 

Gita Bhawan

 

The sprawling ashram of Gita Bhawan has a shrine honouring Lord Ganesha, Shiva and Parvati. The walls of the shrine have many colourful illustrations depicting mythological tales.

Parmarth Niketan

 

Parmarth Niketan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If one walks past Gita Bhawan, one comes across the tranquil Parmarth Niketan that is a significant centre of yoga and meditation in Rishikesh. The entrance of Parmarth Niketan has the statue of Lord Krishna riding the chariot along with Arjuna facing the Ganges. Parmarth Niketan is run by Ganga Action for Planners (GAP) that is constantly striving to save river Ganges from pollution and create pollution-free ambience.

Into the world of mythological charm

 

Into the world of mythological charm

 

Around 3.5 km from Haridwar is the pilgrim town of Kankhal on the banks of river Ganges where mythology comes alive. This is the destination where King Daksh Prajapati, the father of Goddess Sati had performed the ritual sacrifice- Daksh Yagya without inviting Lord Shiva during the age-old world. Goddess Sari could not bear the insult and reduced herself into ashes into the havan kund.

Daksheshwar temple

Daksheshwar Mahadev Temple

 

To us, the prime attraction of Kankhal has been the shrine of Daksh Mahadev on Daksh Road. 

     

Idol of Lord Shiva at Daksheshwar Mahadev temple entrance

 

We walked past Chowk Bazaar and reached the entrance of the shrine that has the life-size statue of Lord Shiva in tandav nritya holding the body of Goddess Sati. The walls of the shrine have the illustrations of the life of Goddess Parvati. 

 

The main attraction of the shrine is the place called Havan Kund or Yagya Shala where King Daksh had performed the Yagya. There is the Sati Kund with the idol of Sati.

 

Adjacent to Daksheshwar shrine is the Brahmeshwar temple that has portrayed the 10 incarnations of Goddess Durga including Kali, Kamla, Tripureshwari, Bhuvaneshwari, Tara, Baglamukhi, Shorsi, Chinnamasta, Chamunda and Skanda Mata.

Shitala Mata temple

 

We went at the back of the shrine to visit Shitala Mata temple that is regarded as the birth place of Goddess Sati.

The birth place of Goddess Sati

 

The shrine is devoted to Goddess Kali and Goddess Sati. Visiting the birth place of Sati filled us with an utmost feeling of satisfaction.

Journey into the spiritual world

Journey into the spiritual world

 

I had embarked on a family trip to Haridwar during Diwali, this year and it was an ideal time for us to indulge in spiritualism and revive our early memories of Dev Bhoomi. It was time for us to unwind from the daily chores of life. We had halted at Hotel Bhaskar overlooking the Railway station and in the vicinity of Garibdasi Dharamshala. The ancient city of Haridwar retains its old-world charm in the midst of its bustling crowd.

Har Ki Pauri

 

Ganga Mata shrine and the Clock Tower at Har Ki Pauri

 

Har Ki Pauri is the calling card of Haridwar that has the highly revered Ganga Mata shrine on the banks of river Ganges. On the first day, we made our way to Har Ki Pauri in the early hours of morning to offer our puja in the age-old Ganga Mandir. 

 

The main shrine of Goddess Ganga Mata

 

Before reaching Har Ki Pauri, we passed through the crowded Moti Bazaar where shops are lined with puja offerings and there are scores of restaurants for pilgrims. We reached Har Ki Pauri and first sighted Maha Kali temple. There is also Sringeri temple and Badrinath and Kedarnath temples lying adjacent to it. We crossed the bridge to reach the ancient shrine of Ganga Mata and offered our puja.

 

Pilgrims bathing at Har Ki Pauri ghat

 

The ghats offer good views of the shrine of Ganga Mata, Shiva temple and the clock tower. Besides, at the entrance pilgrims also visit the main shrine of Ganga Mata dating back to ancient times. 

 

Once our puja was over, we moved into Moti Bazaar to gorge on lip-smacking kachoris with bedmi aloo at Mathura Walon ki Pracheen Dukan.

 

I had an opportunity to get a glance of the glittering Ram Mandir at Jodhamal Road. There is Makarvahini Ganga Dwar at Birla Bridge that attracts many pilgrims.

The Haveli Hari Ganga

 

Haveli Hari Ganga

 

The one and only luxury heritage hotel in Haridwar, the Haveli Hari Ganga lies on Ram Ghat in Moti Bazaar and was the property of Maharaja of Pilibhit that has been transformed into a hotel. 

 

The hotel set-up provides traditional hospitality of Garhwal and is itself a world of meditation. Moreover, it represents a blend of heritage and modernity with its old-world mantra paintings. The restaurant of the hotel serves authentic Garhwal delights.

Eclectic wonders of Gangtok

Eclectic wonders of Gangtok
 

For those interested to know about Tibetan Buddhism, the best destination to visit is Gangtok. The majestic Kanchenjunga towering at a distance meets the eye of visitors in the wee hours of dawn. It was during last October, 2015 that I was away to Gangtok to attend the 4^th International Travel Mart held at Sarmasa Garden, Ranipool in eastern part of the Gangtok. The city holds immense possibilities to know about Tibetan Buddhism and one can spend the entire day feasting on the sights of a number of ancient, famed monasteries. At Gangtok, I had a peek into the must-visit monasteries that offer info on Tibetan Buddhism.
 

Enchey Monastery

 

 

There is the 200-year old Enchey monastery at Chandmari in the east of Gangtok city that stands as one of the major recognized gompas of Sikkim. The monastery was the brainchild of the Dhrubthob Karpo- the tantric who was well-known for his flying power, the sprawling monastery was built way back in 1840 on the lines of sacred mountain of five peaks in China. We came across a plethora of gods and goddesses in the monastery.

 

Namgyal Institute of Tibetology

 

 

 

From Enchey Monastery, we moved straight to Deorali bazaar that has the renowned Namgyal Institute of Tibetology. The renowned Buddhist institute serves as a treasure-trove of Tibetan, Lepcha and Sanskrit manuscripts. The institute is now a seat of learning of Buddhist philosophy and has an amazing range of 200 Buddhist icons and rare Thankas. There are statues of Lord Buddha in clay, wood and metal in different postures depicting the varied activities he had taken up in Abhaya Mudra, Dhyan Mudra and Varada Mudra. 

 

I took time out to gape at the colourful paintings portraying the 12 deeds of Lord Buddha. It is at the institute that we get to know more about guru Padmasambhava, renowned as the second Buddha who was born in 8^th century at Orgyen in Swat Valley of Afghanistan. Thanks to the efforts of Guru Padmasambhava that Buddhism gained foothold in Tibet.

 

Besides, the institute has multiple tantric figures of Vajrayana Buddhism. The statue of Sarvajaya, better known as the goddess of victory has been sculpted in brass dating back to 19^th century. The statue was first found at Kundeling temple in Tibet. There are statues of celestial Boddhisattavas who were the followers of Lord Buddha. The most popular female deity in Tibetan Buddhism is Tara. There is a belief in Tibetan Buddhism that White Tara has the power to bestow health and wealth while Green Tara offers protection from the fears of life. The display of seven water bowl offerings form another interesting facet of the institute. In keeping with the tradition, these water bowls were set out on a Buddhist altar every day as a mark of respect and gratitude to Lord Buddha.

 

Do-Drul Chorten

 

 

In the vicinity of the institute is the Do-Drul Chorten or the stupa with a towering spire plated in gold. We walked uphill to the chorten that has been the creation of the revered Trullishi Rimpoche, the leader of a particular sect of Tibetan Buddhism. Here we got to meet many

With Lamas at Do-drul Chorten

 

Buddhist Lamas who reside in the chorten premises. The chorten is surrounded by 108 prayer wheels that are turned by devout Buddhists.

 

Banjakhri

 

 

After visiting monasteries, we wanted to visit Banjakhri waterfalls at Ranka that provides sound views of stunning natural beauty. Lying around 10 km in the east of Gangtok, the gurgling waterfall has water gushing with a huge force. Jakhri in Nepali implies physician, in Rai community, it is known as Mangpa while Limboos call padangma. There are statues of jakhri, mangpa and padangma curing an ailing patient in the premises of the waterfall.
 

An aerial view of Gangtok

 

 

I flew down by chopper on my return journey from Gangtok to Bagdogra and was lucky enough to get breathtaking aerial views of Gangtok city, Rumtek Moanstery, the serene-flowing river Teesta winding its way through many twists and turns and the vast greenery of Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary in the vicinity of Siliguri.

Neelachal calling

Neelachal Calling

 

Best known as one of the Char Dhams or citadels of faith in India, Puri is the pilgrim resort overlooking the Bay of Bengal. Having spent my formative years and education period in Odisha, I had many opportunities to visit Puri- locally reputed as the land of Neelachal. The pilgrim resort of Puri was founded by Shankracharya and is renowned as the abode of Lord Jagannath.

 

For us, the major attractions of the pilgrim destination have been to visit the shrine of Lord Jagannath and to get immersed in the magic of sun, sea and sand at its Golden Beach.

Lord Jagannath Temple

 

Lord Jagannath Temple

 

For centuries, the towering shrine of Lord Jagannath belonging to 12^th century A.D has been the calling card of the pilgrim destination of Puri. The huge shrine rising to a height of 65 metres was the premier monument of the Ganga dynasty of Odisha in bygone times. 

 

The shrine stands on a raised platform and there are a flight of 22 steps from the ground. There are grand stone carvings with fascinating sculptures on the walls and this shrine is one of the best examples of Kalinga architecture.

 

I have visited the shrine a number of times and each time, I have experienced a sense of bliss. During my third visit to the shrine, I trekked the entire route from Swargadwar to the shrine. The shrine of Lord Jagannath stands on a wide road called Bada Danda and the shrine complex has a slew of shrines like Nrising temple, Sarba Mangala temple, Lakshmi and Vishnu temple. The entrance of shrine is flanked by lions called Singhadwar that forms a typical feature of Kalinga School of Art. The presence of an imposing nine feet figure of Lord Nrising depicts an interesting piece of art.

 

When one visits Lord Jagannath shrine during evenings, one can get to hear religious discourses. While visiting the shrine of Lord Jagannath, we always try to collect the “Mahaprasad” cooked in Anand Bazaar, regarded as the largest food mart in the world.

Vimala Mata temple

 

Another attraction of Lord Jagannath shrine is to visit Vimala Mata shrine devoted to the female goddess and is one of the Shakti Peeths in India. Devotees are refrained from using their lenses in the precincts of the shrine.

Gundicha temple

 

Nearly 2 km away from Jagannath shrine is Gundicha Ghar where Lord Jagannath along with Balabhadra and Subhadra make their annual journey during Rath Yatra from the Jagannath shrine and stay at the small sanctum for a period of eight days.

Golden Beach

 

Puri sea beach

 

 Once the visit to Jagannath shrine is over, devotees hang out on the Golden Beach where nature is at its best with the sun, sea and sand playing a magical rhythm. One can get to view Shankracharya Math on the Beach Road. The southern end of the Golden Beach has Swargadwar with the statue of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

Vignettes from land of Black Pagoda

Vignettes from land of Black Pagoda

No visit to Puri is complete without travelling to Konark renowned as the land of Black Pagoda. 

 

Yatri Niwas

 

 

I recall my last visit to Konark when I had stayed at Yatri Niwas run by Odisha Tourism Development Corporation for a few days. At Konark, I had a chance to explore the coastal destination that is barely 30 km drive from Puri and 64 km from Bhubaneshwar.

 

Also known as Arkashetra, Konark is derived form two words- Kona and Ark that imply “corner of the sun”. The old-world town of Konark is untouched by the influence of the jet age. History flows on that Konark was widely known as the forest of “Maitra Aranya” on the banks of river Chandrabhaga way, way back in the medieval period. 

 

In today’s era, the river has dried up and only a miniature pond remains close to Chandrabhaga beach where devotees congregate on the occasion of Shukla Sapatmi in the month of January to take a holy dip in the legendary river to wash away one’s sins.

Enchanting Sun Temple

 

Sun Temple

 

The beauty of Konark is its Sun temple or the Black Pagoda that reflects a glorious heritage of Odisha. Steeped in mute silence, the colossal Black Pagoda has a potted history of its own. Listed as a world heritage monument, the Sun temple is on the “to-go” list among all segments of tourists. The magnificent 13^th century temple, built by the Ganga king, Narasimhadeva in honour of the Sun God has a rich display of Odishan architecture. In fact, it is a magic created in stone and is one of the masterpieces of Kalinga art. 

 

The Chariot at Sun Temple

 

The rock-cut temple was built in the shape of a huge chariot with seven horses and twelve pairs of divine giant wheels each measuring 10 feet high that are engraved on both the sides and carry the reigning deity forming the highpoint of the temple. 

 

There are numerous images carved on the walls of the temple that depict superb works of craftsmanship of Odishan architecture. There is a detached structure- the Natamandir or the dancing hall built on a square platform and has a flight of steps. The Navgraha temple dedicated to nine planets lies adjacent to the Sun temple.

Chandrabhaga sea beach

 

Chandrabhaga

 

Once our Sun temple tour was over, we were off to the isolated silver beach of Chandrabhaga. Just a few kilometres away from the Sun temple, the pristine Chandrabhaga beach has the verdant beauty of lush coconut groves that tempts all segments of tourists. 

 

Once upon a time, tourists rarely visited the beach but new-age tourists crowd the palm-fringed beach that is steeped in tradition and has a long coastline. In the twilight hours, at Chandrabhaga, it is a sheer delight to watch the last rays of the sun play with the silver beach. We did not forget to visit the age-old Hanuman Chalisa shrine near the beach that finds its mention in the Puranic texts.

Legendary Ramachandi shrine

 

The Shrine of Ramachandi

 

For pilgrims on a tour of Puri and Konark, a visit to the pilgrim point of Ramachandi is another wonderful experience. Nearly 8 km from Konark, the shrine of Ramachandi is at the confluence of river Kushabhadra meeting the Bay of Bengal.

 

A half-an-hour drive from Konark brought us to the tranquil environs of Ramachandi in the midst of casuarina-lined roads on Konark-Puri Marine Drive Road. The shrine flaunts a typical Odishan architecture with lions adorning the apex of the temple. Moreover, there is mythological significance associated with the shrine that mentions about the existence of legendary Goddess Ramachandi. 

 

Ten avatars of Goddess Ramachandi

 

Back in the 16^th century, the Goddess had foiled the attempt of Kalapahar who had set out to demolish the Sun temple at Konark. The Puranic text mentioned in the shrine premises highlights that it was the Goddess who had suggested Lord Rama, the plan to conquer Lanka. 

 

The shrine premises is adorned with ten statues depicting the different forms of the Goddesses including Kali, Lakshmi, Dhumawati, Bagla, Chinnamasta et al. After the darshan of the shrine is over, one can get to see the Kalpavat or the sacred banyan tree in the shrine complex believed to fulfil the desires of pilgrims.