SANCHI STHUPA

On 25 Sept. 2010 saturday, I took off to Nagpur by 2791 Patna express from secunderabad.  It started at 10 AM and reached Nagpur by 7:30 PM.  Then, boarded chattisgarh express 8237 at 10 PM to Bhopal.  Reached Bhopal nextday Sunday morning by 7 AM.

Fromm Bhopal,  Bhopal- Bilaspur express (train No. 8235) started at 8 AM.  The train is like Fast Passengeer  and after two stations it stopped at Sanchi a small town.  I took tea from  roadside tea  y walk.   He gave me information that it iws cool and I can easily go up by the stair case within 20 to 30 minutes by walk.  I really enjoyed the walk.  I took some pictures as I climbed up the small hill of sanchi.  The Simhalese Budda temple is outside the compound wall of the protected area.  I purchased a few book lke Sanchi by Geological survey of India stall.  The stall fellow has offered me some advise to see the Udayagiri caves which are just 8 kms away from the spot.  He also arranged his own man auto rikshaw.  I first went up the hill to see the monuments, the Stupa.  It may just be about 100 acres or less so it didnot take much time to see the entire area.  The stupa no. built by emperor Ashoka is great.  The stupa didnot have any openings it is a closed Samadhi with the astika (bone relics) of Gauthama Buddha.  What all we can see is the sculpture on the four toranas.  The south torana has two pillars with the four lions back to back.  Also there is a broken pillar separately but, broken to half.  The crown of this pillar is later seen in the museum very near to the railway station.  That has the four lions and on top of the heads of the lions a wheel.  In this monument there is no wheel underneath the foot of the lions.  I understand the Ashoka Pillar at the Saranath stupa has that type of structure which is printed on our currency notes.

The bone relics of Gautham Buddha's followers is found in Stpa no. 3.  I has only one Torana (gateway) on the south side.  The monasteries and the temples are all excavated type and nothing much to see just like the Amaravathi (Guntur District)  site.  I bought a stupa model with Buddha in it for Rs.150 fromthe shop inside the area.  Then, I came out at 11AM.    I got down from train at 9 AM and I could reach the hill by walk before 10 AM.  Now at 11AM as I have told him the auto rikshaw has come.  I told him that the vehicle shold be with me upto 3 PM and the Archeological survey shop fellow has told the rikshaw wala to drop me either at Vidisha or at Sanchi railway station as per my instruction.  Also, he has told me that he will take to 2 other places

ELLORA CAVES, AURANGABAD

AFTER VISITING THE GRISHNESWAR jYOTHIRLING TEMPLE, WE RETURNED 1 KM AND AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE ELOORA CAVES WE TOOK  TICKETS TO VISIT THE ELLORA CAVES.  I purchased a few books that show the detailed information and pictures.  Ajantha and Ellora caves are well documented.  One may refer to the books which printed by archelogical survey of india at a price of 70 or 100 rs.  I have purchased books for about 500 rs. not only ajantha ellora but also other tourist places of idnida like konark, mahabalipuram etc.

On the way back to aurangabad we have seen the tomb of aurangajeb. No book in english.  Only a small 3 inch size book in Hindi is found and i have taken that bok hoping to read it latr.  All the literature here is in Urdu only.

GRISHNESWAR JYOTHIRLING, AURANGABAD

On 14 March 2010 Sunday morning we started from the Hotel at 8AM to the Grishneswara Jyothirling temple for the morning prayer.  We reached the place at about 9 AM and I took a basket of flowers and Prasadam packet and went inside the temple.  The diety in the temple is one of the Jyothirlingas of the total 12 jyothirlingas.  I could go near to the place of worship and put flowers on the shiva linga which is about 18 -20 inch heigh and the Brahmins are reciting the Veda mantras and performing the Pooja.  I prayed to the Lord to bles my daughter and son-in-law and for the baby girl to be born and all of them to be blessed with all the good.  I prayed to the Lord for the marriages of my sons and to bless them with very good girls from good families.  I prayed for my own health and for a peaceful life now and after retirement.

  

AJANTHA

I started from Hyderbabad on Friday evening by Train No.7002 Manmad express ie. on 12 March 2010.  Reached early in the morning at 6:30 am the Aurangabad station.  In the train one software engineer working in Qualcomm Hyderabad met me and he is planning for visit to Ajantha and Ellora.  His name is Uday Kant Pandey.  As we got out from the station, one MTDC (Maharastra Tourism Develpment Corpn guy met us took us to the MTDC office   by walk as it is very nearby.  Then, he arranged a taxi (1100 for Ajantha and 700/- for ellora caves for two days and also shown us a hotel where we could fresh up and take bath and paid Rs.100/- for fresh up).  Taxi took us to Ajantha caves by 10 am.  we left our bags in the taxi. and proceeded towards the caves. 

I started from Hyderbabad on Friday evening by Train No.7002 Manmad express ie. on 12 March 2010.  Reached early in the morning at 6:30 am the Aurangabad station.  In the train one software engineer working in Qualcomm Hyderabad met me and he is planning for visit to Ajantha and Ellora.  His name is Uday Kant Pandey.  As we got out from the station, one MTDC (Maharastra Tourism Develpment Corpn guy met us took us to the MTDC office   by walk as it is very nearby.  Then, he arranged a taxi (1100 for Ajantha and 700/- for ellora caves for two days and also shown us a hotel where we could fresh up and take bath and paid Rs.100/- for fresh up).  Taxi took us to Ajantha caves by 10 am.  we left our bags in the taxi. and proceeded towards the caves.  

It is mind boggling to see such massive caves have been mad eby removing the stone from the hills.  The caves have some painted things on the walls but, Uday was busy in taking snaps and videos.  I have requested him to take a few photos with the Buddha  statue in the main temple.  Every cave has huge staue of Buddha in a seperate temple like room seperated from the Pillared Hall.  The paintings depict some stories or Jataka kathas as I remember now from a school days lessions.  I haven't paid attention to this part but, realized it after fininshing the visit.  The whole day fro 10:30am  to 3:39 pm  we are continuously climing up and down the caves and watching the intricate structures  and a little bit about the  paintings.

KHILA WARANGAL : KAKATHIYA EMPIRE 11TH CENTURY

On Sunday 24 Jan 2010 after performing Abhishekam at Rudreswaralayam Hanumakonda, I proceeded to Warangal side.  Then, I got down at Bhadrakali Temple on the main warangal road.  About 10 minutes walk to Bhadrakali temple.  The temple  is adjacent to a beautiful lake built in the 8th century.  The face of the diety of Bhadrakali is carved on the background hill and the 20  hands are projected  in a magnificient way (made of  brass)  The Puzzle through which one can pass through resembles the chakravyuha and it is located outside the temple area.  The temple origins date back to 8th century.  After prayin to the Bhadrakali temple I proceeded to Warangal railway station by service auto.  From Warangal railway station I took auto to KHILA WARANGAL that is the Waragal Fort.  We have to ask the auto walas for Khila warangal.  No one understands if we say we want togo to waangal Fort.

Entrance  ticket is Rs.5/-, to see the excavated kakathiya samrajya monuments.  The Keerthi Thoranas are magnificient.  These are all in an area 10-15 feet deep in the excavated site.

Adjavcnt to the   secure protected site is the semi protected temple again at the same depth of 15 feet.  The temple is known as "Swayam Bhudevi Alayam".  It appeared the archakas are an old couple in the 70's and they are not having much protection to safe guard the small size idols and pooja samgris.  As thye were finding that one of the pooja samagri that has been near the diety.  I consoled them by saying that the person who does such things will be shapagrastlu avutharu by the power of godess Swayam Bhudevi. 

I  next moved to the 500 meters away Kush Mahal built around 15th century by Saitab Khan who appears to be one of the successors of the Muslim rulers who defeated Kakathiyas and ruined the magnificient empire.  Saitab Khan was ruling Warangal around 1498 period, when Krishna devaraya of Hampi defeted and killed him in a battle before he conquered Orissa.  After conquering Orissa, Krishna Devaraya took away the daughter of the Orissa Hindu king and named her Bhuvaneswari devi and married her.  

The Saitab khan Kush mahal is a vast building and the roof was rebuilt by the Archeological department.  I thought if I go over the roof I can see the surrounding circular Fort shape which is about 2  kms away on all sides.  I climbed up and I was delighted to see parts of the Fort walls here and there in a circular form.  It was about 1PM and I was getting down from the stairs made of the huge stones (un polished) and the heights of the steps in the stair is not the same.    One of the step in the middle was so different more than 2 feet thus, my right foot got sprained while getting down.(The adjacent phot is the building on the right corner are the uneven stair case. I sat down for 4 or 5 minuteson the next step  to recover from the unbearable pain.  I was unconfirtable  till I reached Hyderabad. At home around 9:50 PM I could do some massage for the pained foot and tightened it with creep bandage.  Nextday morning I was unable to attend the office.