Most beautiful temple in India

**Perfection** · 03-26-2007, 03:36 PM

Vaishno Devi : The cave shrine is the oldest in Jammu and is 13 km trek from Katra (40 km from Jammu). There are tiled paths as well as steep staircase route on the Trikuta mountain to the cave. On midway there is an important temple at Adhkunwari. The cave is narrow and the pilgrims have to walk through a running stream of cold water, Charan Ganga, to get to the sanctum sanctorium. The cave is at 1700 m having a length of 30 m and a height of 1.5 metre.

Within, three rock cut idols of the goddesses Mahakali, Mahalaxmi and Mahasaraswati are venerated. Coconuts and red scarfs are offered. Legend has it that Vaishno Devi took the cave for her home upon being chased by a demon called Bhairon. The pilgrimage is made during Navratra in October.

The to and fro trek takes 7 hour. One can trek at night to avoid exhaustion and the route is well lighted with way side tea shops. It is a popular Hindu pilgrim centre in Kashmir.

**Perfection** · 03-28-2007, 01:11 AM

Harmandir Sahib Gurudwara, Patna : Harmandir Sahib Gurudwara is a pilgrim centre for the Sikhs and is regarded as one of the five holiest takhts. Guru Gobind Singh was born in 1666 and spent his early years here before moving to Anandpur sahib. Maharaja Ranjit Singh started the reconstruction of the Gurudwara following its destruction by fire in 1839. Quite a few relics of Guru Gobind Singh are also preserved here and include a pangura (cradle) with four stands covered with golden plates, four iron arrows, the sacred sword of the Master and a pair of his sandals.

**Perfection** · 03-28-2007, 01:12 AM

Hemkund Sahib : It is a major Sikh pilgrim centre and is situated at the foot of the Hiamalayas in Uttaranchal. Sikhs believe that Guru Gobind Singh did penanace here during his previous birth. It was after a long search that Hemkund was identified as the spot. A Gurudwara is situated in one of the banks of the lake, a Laxman temple adorns the other bank. The area is scenic with colourul flowers, three snow clad mountains and wild life.

Lake is spread over a kilometer and a half at 4329 m above sea level. Season - July to August. Govind ghat (1828 m, 18 km after Joshimath on Badarinath road) to Ghanjhira (3048 m, 15 km, 7 h, Gurudwara/Rest house) by trek. 6 km trek from Ghanjhira to the Hemkund Sahib.

**Perfection** · 03-28-2007, 08:37 AM

Jal Mandir : Located 38 km from Rajgir in Bihar at Pawapuri, where all sins for a devout Jain end. The last Thirthankara and the founder of Jainism, Mahavira, breathed his last here and was cremated around 500 BC. Jal Mandir, a beautiful shrine in marble, built in the middle of a lake. Samosharan temple nearby marks the spot where Mahavira delivered his last sermon.

**Perfection** · 03-28-2007, 08:38 AM

Jagannath temple : It is a major Hindu pilgrim centre and is one of the four Dhams in India.Jagannath means 'Lord of the Universe'. The main deities in the temple are Jagannath, Balbhadra and sister Subhadra. Jagannath is another name of Lord Krishna. The temple tower is 65 m high and is built on elevated ground, which makes it to look even larger. The temple is in 10.7 acres surrounded by two rectangular walls. The temple is said to have the largest kitchen in the world and feeds of thousands of devotees every day. The temple has as many as 6000 priests. 'Nila Chakra', a wheel on the top of the temple is made of an alloy of eight metals called Ashta Dhatu. A flag is tied on every day on a mast attached to the Nila Chakra.

On every Ekadasi day, a lamp is lit on top of the temple near the wheel. Thirty small temples surround the main temple. Infront of the main gate is an 11 m pillar, Aruna Stambha, which is used to be in front of the Sun temple Konark.

**Perfection** · 03-28-2007, 08:46 AM

Kaliashnath temple, Ellora : It is an 8 th century temple made by Rashtrakuda ruler Krishna I. The huge rock cut monlithic temple built in the south Indian style (with Dravidian features and resembles to Mamallapuram temples) known for its sculptural splendour. A gateway, an enclosure for Nandi and a mandapam, all lined up in front of the sanctum, which is crowned with a vimana (tower) composed of successively receding storeys and decorated with miniature buildings. The temple covers an area of over 18 462 sq m, and vimana rises to height of 28 m. The Shikhara (vimana) displays a profusion of sculpted images. The temple, created by excavating 400 000 tonnes of rock, called for sheer brilliance on the part of the visionaries who laid the temple plans.

**Perfection** · 03-29-2007, 01:40 AM

Jama Masjid (Masjid i Jahan Numa) : One of the largest mosques in India, located near Red fort in Delhi, built by Shah Jahan. Its courtyard has a capacity of 25000 worshippers. The construction work continued for tsix years and completed in 1644. The structure was placed on a high platform so that it's magnificent facade would bervisibler from all the adjoining areas. Masjid is made of red sandstone by 5000 people. It has three gateways, four towers and two minarets, wide staircases, arched gateways. The relic of Prophet Mohammed and the Holy Koran are placed in a small shrine within. Mosque was designed by Ostad Khali, a greeat sculptor of that time.

Its tapering ,inarets made os red stone with vertical white marble stripes rise tioo the height of 40 m . 130 spiral steps leads to the top. It cost rupees ten lakhs then.

**Perfection** · 03-30-2007, 01:13 AM

Kali temple, Kolkatta : Kali temple at Kalighat is one of the most important Hindu pilgrim centres in India built in 1809 on the banks of river Ganga. The temple is also famous for its terracotta art. The idol of Goddess Kali is made of black stone and decorated with gold and silver. The goddess is offered a ceremonial bath every year on the snan yatra day.

The hospital for dying destitutes by Mother Teresa is near the temple and every one is a welcome visitor here. There are other temples to Kali - Sahasrabhuja Kali, Sarvamangala, Tarasundari and Simhavahini. The Dakshineshwar Kali temple across the river, near Belur Math, bears an image of Kali worshipped by the spiritual leader Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, guru of Swmi Vivekananda.

**Perfection** · 03-30-2007, 01:14 AM

Kanchipuram, Chennai : The golden city of thousand temples is one of the seven sacred cities of India. The other holiest cities are Haridwar, Varanasi, Ayodhya, Mathura, Dwaraka and Ujjain. Kanchipuram is a temple city famous for Silk handloom sarees. The city was once the capital of the Pallavas (6 to 8 th c AD), the Cholas and the Vijayanagar rulers. One of tyhe four seats of Sri Adi Shankaracharya (a great Hindu saint), the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham is situated here.

Rock carved chain and thousand pillared hall

**Perfection** · 04-02-2007, 12:29 AM

Sun temple, Konark : The temple built in 13 th century by King Narasimha Deva is dedicated to Sun god. It took 1200 workers over 16 years to build. This impressive temple resembles to a huge chariot with 24 giant wheels being pulled by seven horses. Great pairs of large intricately carved wheels were carved on both sides of the 4 m high platform that the temple is on. There are two rows of twelve wheels on both sides. There is a dancing hall, an audience hall and a high tower too. This temple was once called the Balck Pagoda by sailors as it was supposed to draw ships into the shore and cause shipwrecks.

There is a nice quiet beach 3 km from the temple. Not far from the beach is a pond where Krishna's son, Samba, is said to have been cured from leprosy. Konark is 65 km from Bhubaneshwar near Puri. Konark temple is a sheer poetry in stones, conceived and executed as a colossal Sun chariot.