Most beautiful temple in India

**Perfection** · 03-02-2007, 12:47 AM

Bodh Gaya : Bodh Gaya is the most important Buddhist pilgrimage centre in the world. Apart from being an important archaeological site, it is also a vital Buddhist centre. It is the place where Gautam Buddha attained enlightenment. Bodh Gaya is 13 km from Gaya, which is 100 km from Patna, the capital of Bihar. Devout Buddhists and tourists all over the
world visit Bodh Gaya to study Buddhism and the art of meditation or to simply absorb the aura of solemn grandeur that surrounds the place.

Bodh Gaya is a quiet and peaceful place. The focal point of Bodh Gaya is the Mahabodhi tree. A 50 mtere high pyramidal spire crowns the Mahabodhi temple, inside of which is a larged gilded image of Buddha. The temple is believed to be standing on the site of a shrine erected by Emperor Ashoka in the third century BC. The Bodhi tree growing here is
believed to be the direct descendant of the original tree, under which the Buddha sat, meditated and attained enlightenment. The red sandstone under the tree is said to be the Vajrasan or diamond throne, which the Buddha sat on. The archaeological museum houses a small collection of figurines of the Buddha and pillars that were discovered from the area.

**Perfection** · 03-03-2007, 03:57 PM

CHARDHAM YATRA - YAMNOTRI, GANGOTRI, KEDARNATH, BADARINATH

Chardham Yatra is a religious travel in the Himalayas and can be completed in two weeks time. The place to start the travel is Rishikesh or Dehradun in Uttaranchal. The yatra is through the beautiful hill areas prone to landslides and involve very long road travel at snail's pace. The road is zigzag and the vehicles can move at an average speed of 30 kmph. There is no competition on this road - no overtaking or overspeeding. Night travel is forbidden in this route. The route is open for traffic from 0600 to 2000 h on all days except the winter season.

Yamnotri and Kedarnath involves trek to reach the temple on the average of 13 km one way in each case. Other tourist attractions on the route are :

DEHRADUN - Capital of Uttaranchal, hill station, Indian military academy.

MUSSOORIE - Major hill station 28 km from Dehradun, gardens, trekking, Gun hill rope way, Tibettan market, Kempty falls (15 km), Yamuna bridge (27 km), Surkhanda devi temple (35 km), Yamnotri (140 km).

YAMNOTRI - Source of river Yamuna, Hindu pilgrim centre - temple, hot springs - Surya kund , Divya shila rock pillar near the temple. Mussoorie to Hanuman chatti (130 km). 13 km trek via Janaki chatti for Yamnotri. 120 km for Gangotri.

GANGOTRI (3048 m) - Glacier at Gaumukh (24 km trek), source of Ganga river, Hindu pilgrim centre, temple, access from Dehradun by bus, Open May to October. Mussoorie to Lanka (112 km). Trek to Gangotri (11 km), to Bhajbasa (3800 m, 12 km) via Chibasa, to Gaumukh (3970 m, 12 km) and back.

HARIDWAR - Kumbh mela is held here after every 12 years, Chandi devi temple, Bharatmata temple, Mayadevi temple, Bhimgoda temple, Mansadevi temple (ropeway), Vaishnodevi temple, Hari-i-Pairi Ganga ghat for evening Aarti, temples, ashrams.

RISHIKESH - Hindu pilgrim centre, Trivel ghat : Evening Aarti, Swarg ashram : famous for Yoga and meditation, Kali temple, Lakshman Jhoola (bridge), Ram Jhoola. Kedarnath (222 km), Badrinath (300 km).

KEDARNATH - Hindu pilgrim centre near Badrinath (180 km, 3584 m, 13 km trek from Gaurikund - hot springs, May to Oct), jyotirlinga, Shankaracharya samadhi, Chaukamba glacier (2 km), Vasuki tal lake (4200m, 5 km , 2 km in dia.), trekking, wild flowers .

BADARINATH - Hindu pilgrim centre (bus from Rishikesh, 300 km, 12 hour, 3100 m), hot springs : Taptakund and Surya kund, from temple steps leads to Charan paduka. The last village Mana is at 3 km. Vyas gupha : cave, trek to Vasudhara falls via Bhim pul (5 km, 122 m water fall at 3658 m). The route leads to Mt. Nilkantha (6596 m, 10 km). Mt. Kamet (7756 m).

**Perfection** · 03-04-2007, 01:12 AM

Hindu Pilgrim centres in Andhra Pradesh

TIRUMALA near TIRUPATI - World's richest temple (Gold & diamonds worth Rs. 500 Cr.), Sri Venkateshwara University museum.

PUTTAPARTI - Satya Sai Baba's Prashanti nilayam ; Lepakshi - Temple having largest Nandi Statue in India (100 km from Bangalore)

Warangal : Fort, temple, Hanamkonda temple (7 km) : 1000 pillared hall with 1.8 m Nandi statue.

**Perfection** · 03-04-2007, 04:56 PM

Hindu Pilgrim centres in Assam

GUWAHATI - State museum, Assam state zoo & botanical garden, temples.

MAJULI - World's largest river island and a pilgrim centre (120 km from Guwahati)

**Perfection** · 03-06-2007, 05:04 PM

GOA

Pernem temple, Pilar monastries; Ponda - temples, Shanta Durga temple near Ponda, Sri Manguesh temple at Priol (5 km). Margao - Chanreshwar Butnath temple (10 km).

**Perfection** · 03-07-2007, 01:23 PM

Hindu Pilgrim centres in GUJRAT

AHMEDABAD - Akshardham temple, Modhera Sun temple (104 km).

DWARKA - One of the four most sacred Hindu pilgrim centres, Janmastami is celebrated in Jagat Mandir (1400 years old),Shankaracharya Ashram - Sharda Peeth. Beyt Dwaraka (5 km) - temple.

SOMNATH - One of the 12 jyotirlingas : temple, Bhalka tirth, museum and beach, 80 km from Junagarh.

**Perfection** · 03-09-2007, 12:56 AM

Hindu Pilgrim centres in Jammu Kashmir

JAMMU - Ranbireswar temple, Raghnath temple,VAISHNODEVI - Hindu pilgrim centre, 14 km trek from Katra (40 km from Jammu).

AMARNATH (3900 m) - Cave with ice Shivlinga which waxes and wanes with moon, Pahalgam to Chandanwari by jeep, trek to Panchtarani via Sheshnag and then to cave (40 km), Return to Baltal in 4 days; BALTAL - Base camp for trekking to Amarnath cave (15*2 km, in a day). Season : July to Sept.

SRINAGAR- Shankaracharya temple on hill top (4 km, 300 m), Khir Bhawani temple (27 km, in marble).

**Perfection** · 03-10-2007, 12:25 AM

Hindu Pilgrim centres in Himachal Pradesh

JAWALAMUKHI - Temple with shining gas flame is revered as Goddess. Baijnath temple. KANGRA - Barjeshwari temple, fort .

KULLU - Raghunath temple (Dussera), Jagatsukh Shiv temple (800 AD, 6 km).

MANIKARAN - 45 km from Kullu, famous for hot sulphur springs- temple.

MANALI - Hadimba devi temple, Vashist hot springs (3 km)

**Perfection** · 03-10-2007, 12:38 AM

Hindu Pilgrim centres in Madhya Pradesh

OMKARESWAR JYOTIRLINGA - 77 km from Indore situated in an island, Sidhanath mandir, Satmatrika temple group (6 km), Kajal Rani caves (9 km).

UJJAIN - Indore (53 km). Mahakaleswar temple (jyotirlinga), Bade Ganeshji ka mandir, Gola mandir, Navagraha mandir, Kal Bhairava mandir, Gad Kali mandir, Vikram Kirti mandir.

MAHESWAR (91 km from Indore) - Maheswar temple.

ORCHHA - 16 km from Jhansi. Fort complex - Ram raja mandir, Chaturbhuj mandir, Lakshmi Narayan mandir.

KHAJURAHO - By Chandelas in 950 AD. Erotic sculptures in temples, archaeological museum. (Rail head Jhansi: 172 km).

Western group temples : Kandariya Mahadeo, Chausat Yogini, Chiragupta, Viswanath, Raja Rani.

Eastern group temples : Parasvanath (largest in this group), Adinath.

Southern group temples : Duladeo temple, Chaturbhuj temple. Dance festival in March .

**Perfection** · 03-10-2007, 03:45 PM

Hindu Pilgrim centres in Uttar Pradesh

MATHURA - Birth place of Lord Krishna, Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi temple, Dwarkadeesh temple, Kans qila and Raja Jai Singh observatory, Gita mandir, Mathura ghats - Vishram, kali, Dahi, Govindkeshi, Vrindavan (10 km) - Krishna Balram temple, Givindev temple, Rangaji temple, Radha ballabh temple, Bankey Bihari temple, Shahji temple.

ALLAHABAD - Sangam, confluence of rivers Ganga, Yamuna and invisible Saraswati, Kumbhmela is held at Sangam is India's biggest festival (once in 12 years) with largest religious crowd.

VARANASI - Sacred city for Hindus, Viswanath temple : Jyotirlinga, Ganga bathing ghats.