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Kandariya Mahadev Temple
The temples at Khajuraho were built between 950 and 1050AD by the Chandela kings
Beautiful carvings on the Sharneshwar Temple at Abhapur.
The Sharneshwar Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and was built in the 15th century A.D.
The Polo Forest region of Gujarat is a quiet retreat, nestled in the Aravalli hills bordering Gujarat and Rajasthan. The word "Polo" is derived from "Pol" which means "gateway" in Sanskrit. The forest was a gateway between Gujarat and Rajasthan.
The Polo Forest region played host to the ancient kingdom of Vijayanagar. Polo Forest conceals a number of amazing temples built during the 10th to 15th century A.D.
View the Polo Forest Slideshow
the Angareshwar mahadev temple is Dabhoi from (sinor) Malasar village is located approximately three kilometers from the Narmada River. Please like and follow Gujarat Tourist Guide in Social media and get update:-
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Chaturbhuj temple (Devanagri: चतुर्भुज मंदिर) is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. The name Chaturbhuj (Devanagri: चतुर्भुज) is a derived from Sanskrit words चतु: = four and भुजा = arms, which literally means One who has four arms; and refers to Lord Vishnu.
The temple is Date-able to CIRCA 1100 A.D. This temple is also known as Jatakari (Devanagri:जटकारी) Temple on the name of the village Jatakari (Devanagri:जटकारी), where it is located.
This temple is located near a village Jatakara at Khajuraho. This temple is also known as Jatakari Temple on the name of the village.
It is grouped under southern group of temples, due to is location in southern area of Khajuraho.
This is the only temple in Khajuraho which lacks erotic sculptures.
The temple consists of a sanctum without ambulatory, vestibule, mandapa and an entrance porch. The temple stands on a Modest (chabutara).
Around the wall, there are three bands of sculptures.
The main idol in the temple is of four-armed Lord Vishnu. It is 2.7 meters in height.
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The Khajuraho Group of Monuments in Khajuraho, a town in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, located in Chhatarpur District, about 620 kilometres southeast of New Delhi, is one of the most popular tourist destinations in India. Khajuraho has the largest group of medieval Hindu and Jain temples, famous for their erotic sculptures.
Between 950 and 1150, the Chandela monarchs built these temples when the Tantric tradition may have been accepted. In the days before the Mughal conquests, when boys lived in hermitages, following brahmacharya until they became men, they could learn about the world and prepare themselves to become householders through examining these sculptures and the worldly desires they depicted.
The name Khajuraho, ancient "Kharjuravāhaka", is derived from the Sanskrit words kharjura = date palm and vāhaka = "one who carries". Locals living in the Khajuraho village always knew about and kept up the temples as best as they could. They were pointed out to the English in the late 19th century when the jungles had taken a toll on the monuments. In the 19th century, British engineer T.S. Burt arrived in the area, followed by General Alexander Cunningham. Cunningham put Khajuraho on the world map when he explored the site on behalf of the Archaeological Survey of India and described what he found in glowing terms. The Khajuraho Group of Monuments has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is considered to be one of the "seven wonders" of India.
HISTORY
In the 27th Century of Kali Yuga the Mlechcha invaders started attacking Northern India, some Bargujar moved eastward to central India; they ruled over the Northeastern region of Rajasthan, called Dhundhar, and were referred to as Dhundhel or Dhundhela in ancient times, for the region they governed. Later on they called themselves Chandelas; those who were in the ruling class having gotra Kashyap were definitely all Bargujars; they were vassals of Gurjara – Pratihara empire of North India, which lasted from 500 CE to 1300 CE and at its peak the major monuments were built. The Bargujars also built the Kalinjar fort and Neelkanth Mahadev temple, similar to one at Sariska National Park, and Baroli, being Shiva
The city was the cultural capital of Chandel Rajputs, a Hindu dynasty that ruled this part of India from the 10 to 12th centuries. The political capital of the Chandelas was Kalinjar. The Khajuraho temples were built over a span of 200 years, from 950 to 1150. The Chandela capital was moved to Mahoba after this time, but Khajuraho continued to flourish for some time. Khajuraho has no forts because the Chandel Kings never lived in their cultural capital.
The whole area was enclosed by a wall with eight originates, each flanked by two golden palm trees. There were originally over 85 Hindu temples, of which only 25 now stand in a reasonable state of preservation, scattered over an area of about 20 square kilometres. The erotic sculptures were crafted by Chandella artisans. The temples, maintained by the locals, were pointed out to the English in the late 19th century when the jungles had taken a toll on the monuments. Today, the temples serve as fine examples of Indian architectural styles that have gained popularity due to their explicit depiction of sexual life during medieval times.You can see the erotic sculptures on Kandariya Mahadev Temple.
ARCHITECTURE
The temples are grouped into three geographical divisions: western, eastern and southern.
The Khajuraho temples are made of sandstone. The builders didn't use mortar: the stones were put together with mortise and tenon joints and they were held in place by gravity. This form of construction requires very precise joints. The columns and architraves were built with megaliths that weighed up to 20 tons.
The Saraswati temple on the campus of the Birla Institute of Technology and Science in Pilani, India, is modeled after the Khajuraho temples.
STATUES AND CARVINGS
The Khajuraho temples contain sexual or erotic art outside the temple or near the deities. Some of the temples that have two layers of walls have small erotic carvings on the outside of the inner wall. It has been suggested that these suggest tantric sexual practices. Some 10% of the carvings contain sexual themes and those reportedly do not depict deities but rather sexual activities between people. The rest depict the everyday life. For example, those depictions show women putting on makeup, musicians, potters, farmers, and other folk. The mundane scenes are all at some distance from the temple deities. A common misconception is that, since the old structures with carvings in Khajuraho are temples, the carvings depict sex between deities.
Another perspective of these carvings is presented by James McConnachie. In his history of the Kamasutra, McConnachie describes the zesty 10% of the Khajuraho sculptures as "the apogee of erotic art":
"Twisting, broad-hipped and high breasted nymphs display their generously contoured and bejewelled bodies on exquisitely worked exterior wall panels. These fleshy apsaras run riot across the surface of the stone, putting on make-up, washing their hair, playing games, dancing, and endlessly knotting and unknotting their girdles....Beside the heavenly nymphs are serried ranks of griffins, guardian deities and, most notoriously, extravagantly interlocked maithunas, or lovemaking couples."
While the sexual nature of these carvings have caused the site to be referred to as the Kamasutra temple, they do not illustrate the meticulously described positions. Neither do they express the philosophy of Vatsyayana's famous sutra. As "a strange union of Tantrism and fertility motifs, with a heavy dose of magic" they belief a document which focuses on pleasure rather than procreation. That is, fertility is moot.
The strategically placed sculptures are "symbolical-magical diagrams, or yantras" designed to appease malevolent spirits. This alamkara (ornamentation) expresses sophisticated artistic transcendence over the natural; sexual images imply a virile, thus powerful, ruler.
Between 950 and 1150, the Chandela monarchs built these temples when the Tantric tradition may have been accepted. In the days before the Mughal conquests, when boys lived in hermitages, following brahmacharya until they became men, they could learn about the world and prepare themselves to become householders through examining these sculptures and the worldly desires they depicted.
While recording the television show Lost Worlds (History Channel) at Khajuraho, Alex Evans, a contemporary stonemason and sculptor gave his expert opinion and forensically examined the tool marks and construction techniques involved in creating the stunning stonework at the sites. He also recreated a stone sculpture under 4 feet that took about 60 days to carve in an attempt to develop a rough idea how much work must have been involved. Roger Hopkins and Mark Lehner also conducted experiments to quarry limestone which took 12 quarrymen 22 days to quarry about 400 tons of stone. These temples would have required hundreds of highly trained sculptors.
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Der Tempelbezirk von Khajuraho umfasst eine Gruppe von etwa 20 Tempeln im Zentrum und in der näheren Umgebung der Stadt Khajuraho im indischen Bundesstaat Madhya Pradesh. Sie zählen zum UNESCO-Welterbe.
GESCHICHTE
Nahezu alle Tempel Khajurahos wurde von den Herrschern der Chandella-Dynastie zwischen 950 und 1120 erbaut. Die Chandellas waren ein zwischen dem 10. und 16. Jahrhundert regierender Rajputen-Klan, welcher sich um 950 in Gwalior festsetzte. Im 10. und 11. Jahrhundert waren die Chandellas die führende Macht in Nordindien, wenngleich sie formell noch bis 1018 Vasallen der Pratihara waren.
Nach dem Niedergang der Dynastie im 12. Jahrhundert wurden die Tempel kaum noch oder gar nicht mehr benutzt und blieben dem Wuchs des Dschungels überlassen. Der politisch, militärisch und wirtschaftlich bedeutungslos gewordene Ort lag abseits aller Wege und blieb somit auch in der Zeit des islamischen Vordringens in Nordindien von Zerstörungen verschont. Im 18. und 19. Jahrhundert zählte die einstmals bedeutsame Stadt nur noch etwa 300 Einwohner. Im 19. Jahrhundert wurden die Tempel von den Briten 'wiederentdeckt'. Zu Beginn des 20. Jahrhunderts begannen systematische Sicherungs- und Restaurierungsarbeiten, die schließlich zur Wiederherstellung dieses einzigartigen Architektur-Ensembles führten.
TEMPEL
Ursprünglich gab es in Khajuraho etwa 80 Tempelbauten verstreut auf einer Gesamtfläche von ca. 21 Quadratkilometer, heutzutage sind davon nur noch etwa 20 erhalten, von denen die meisten in zwei Gruppen stehen. Die Mehrzahl der Tempel ist den hinduistischen Hauptgöttern geweiht, einige den Jaina-Tirthankaras. Buddhistische Bauten gab es wohl nicht, jedenfalls wurden keine buddhistischen Skulpturen entdeckt.
Alle Tempel stehen auf 1,50 bis 3 Meter hohen Plattformen (jagatis), die das Bauwerk vor Witterungseinflüssen (Monsunregen) und freilaufenden Tieren schützten. Hinzu kommt eine Sockelzone, die bei den späteren Tempeln (ab ca. 950) mehrfach gestuft ist und durchaus nochmals 3 Meter hoch sein kann. Plattform und Sockel tragen natürlich auch zu einer 'Erhöhung' des aufstehenden Bauwerks im übertragenen Sinn bei.
Die Mehrzahl der Tempeleingänge sind nach Osten, also in Richtung der aufgehenden Sonne ausgerichtet, d. h. die Cella (garbhagriha) liegt im Westen. Bei zwei Tempeln ist es umgekehrt: sie orientieren sich nach Westen, d. h. in Richtung der untergehenden Sonne (Lalguan-Mahadeva-Tempel und Chaturbuja-Tempel). Beide Ausrichtungen sind bei indischen Tempeln seit Jahrhunderten möglich und üblich. Die vorderen zwei Begleitschreine des Lakshmana-Tempels liegen einander gegenüber und sind nach Süden bzw. Norden ausgerichtet.
WESTGRUPPE (Hindu-Tempel)
- Matangeshvara-Tempel (ca. 950)
- Varaha-Tempel (ca. 950)
- Lakshmana-Tempel (ca. 950)
- Devi-Tempel
- Vishvanatha-Tempel (ca. 1000)
- Nandi-Schrein
- Parvati-Schrein
- Jagadambi-Tempel
- Chitragupta-Tempel
- Kandariya-Mahadeva-Tempel (1. Hälfte 11. Jh.)
OSTGRUPPE (Jain-Tempel)
- Parsvanatha-Tempel (ca. 960)
- Adinatha-Tempel (ca. 1050)
- Shantinatha-Tempel
- Ghantai-Tempel (ca. 990)
EINZELTEMPEL (Hindu-Tempel)
- Chausath-Yogini-Tempel (ca. 875)
- Lalguan-Mahadeva-Tempel (ca. 920)
- Brahma-Tempel (ca. 930)
- Khakra-Math-Tempel (ca. 980)
- Vamana-Tempel (ca. 1050)
- Javari-Tempel (ca. 1100)
- Chaturbuja-Tempel (ca. 1120)
- Duladeo-Tempel (ca. 1120)
ARCHITEKTUR
Die Tempel von Khajuraho bieten die Möglichkeit, auf engstem Raum die Entwicklung der indischen Baukunst in einer Zeitspanne von etwa 200 Jahren zu verfolgen − von kleinen (wenig gegliederten, einräumigen und geschlossenen) Tempeln hin zu großen (stark gegliederten, mehrräumigen und offenen) Bauten. Auch die Höhe der Bauten erfährt während dieser Zeit eine enorme Steigerung. Gemeinsam ist nahezu allen Bauten (Ausnahme: Chausath-Yogini-Tempel), dass sie über Dachaufbauten (Shikhara-Türme oder Pyramidendächer) verfügen, die von gerippten amalaka-Steinen und kalasha-Krügen bekrönt werden.
FRÜHZEIT
Abgesehen vom Chausath-Yogini-Tempel, dem ältesten und vollkommen anderen baulichen Traditionen verpflichteten Tempelbau in Khajuraho, bestehen die frühen Tempel nur aus einer − von einem gestuften Pyramidendach bedeckten − Cella (garbhagriha), der im Fall des Brahma-Tempels noch ein Portalvorbau (antarala), im Fall des Varaha-Tempels und des Matangesvara-Tempels jeweils ein kleiner offener Vorraum (mandapa) vorgesetzt ist. Die Außenwände sind nur geringfügig gegliedert und überwiegend steinsichtig.
BLÜHTZEIT
Die Blütezeit der Tempelarchitektur in Khajuraho beginnt mit dem Lakshmana-Tempel (ca. 930−950), der wahrscheinlich vom Maladevi-Tempel in Gyaraspur und von früheren Tempelbauten in Rajasthan beeinflusst ist, die ihrerseits wiederum allesamt auf die beim Bau des Kalika-Mata-Tempels in Chittorgarh (ca. 700) erstmals entwickelten baulichen Innovationen zurückgeführt werden können. Diese sind im Wesentlichen: mehrere hintereinander liegende, aber harmonisch miteinander verbundenen Bauteile (mandapas, antarala und garbhagriha); gleiche Grundfläche von großer Vorhalle (mahamandapa) und Sanktumsbereich; Cella als eigenständiger Baukörper im Innern; Pfeiler − und nicht mehr Wände − als tragende Stützelemente für die Dachaufbauten − dadurch wurde es möglich, die Räume nach außen hin durch balkonähnliche Vorbauten zu öffnen; mehrfache Abstufung und Gliederung der verbliebenen Wandteile außen wie innen − dadurch treten sie gar nicht mehr als 'Wand' in Erscheinung; Fortsetzung der Außenwandgliederung im Dachaufbau.
Beim Lakshmana-Tempel ist die Cella als eigener, innenliegender Baukörper gestaltet und von einem Umgang (pradakshinapatha) umgeben. Der gesamte Sanktumsbereich sowie seine vier Nebenschreine werden − erstmals in Khajuraho − von steil und hoch aufragenden Shikhara-Türmen überhöht; die weniger wichtigen Vorhallen werden auch weiterhin von den insgesamt flacheren, pyramidenförmigen Dächern bedeckt, so dass eine architektonische Steigerung der Tempel − einem Gebirge durchaus vergleichbar − hin zur Cella erreicht wird.
Die wichtigsten Nachfolgebauten des Lakshmana-Tempels sind der Vishvanatha-Tempel (ca. 1000) und der Kandariya-Mahadeva-Tempel (ca. 1050), bei denen wegen der vielfältigen architektonischen Gliederungen und des dichten Skulpturenprogramms eine Stein- bzw. Wandsichtigkeit nicht mehr wahrzunehmen ist.
SKULPTUREN
Auch im Hinblick auf die Entwicklung der indischen Skulptur bieten die Tempel von Khajuraho einen Überblick über ca. 200 Jahre indischer Kunstgeschichte − von den in Architekturelemente eingebundenen und eher unbewegt und statisch erscheinenden Reliefdarstellungen der Frühzeit bis hin zu den beinahe freiplastisch gearbeiteten und durch ihre Posenvielfalt nahezu lebendig wirkenden Figuren.
FRÜHZEITLICHE SKULPTUREN
Die nur wenig gegliederten Außenwände der frühen Tempel von Khajuraho zeigen kaum figürlichen oder ornamentalen Schmuck. Dieser ist, noch stark reliefgebunden, auf die Portale (Lalguan-Mahadeva-Tempel, Brahma-Tempel) sowie auf einige Fensternischen (Matangeshvara-Tempel) beschränkt. Erotische Skulpturen sind in den frühen Tempeln noch nicht zu finden.
SKULPTUREN DER BLÜHTEZEIT
Auch hier ist es der Lakshmana-Tempel, der für Khajuraho neue Zeichen setzt: Während die Außenwände der Vorhallen nur wenig figürliche Reliefs zeigen, sind die Wände des Sanktums überreich mit Skulpturen geschmückt. Darunter finden sich Götterfiguren (devas oder devis), „schöne Mädchen“ (surasundaris) und Liebespaare (mithunas); auch die ersten erotischen Skulpturen sind in den unteren (erdnahen) Feldern der Mittelregister sowie im Figurenfries der Plattform zu sehen. Die mittleren Felder zeigen dagegen zärtliche Liebespaare mit kleineren Begleitfiguren, die oberen Götterfiguren. Eine Hierarchie der Figurenanordnung ist also deutlich wahrnehmbar. Bei den unmittelbaren Nachfolgebauten (Vishvanatha-Tempel, Jagadambi-Tempel und Kandariya-Mahadeva-Tempel) nimmt die Anzahl der Figuren und somit auch der erotischen Darstellungen zu.
Bei den Jain-Tempeln und den späteren Hindu-Tempeln sind kaum noch erotisch-sexuelle Darstellungen zu finden; hier überwiegt die Anzahl der Götterfiguren manchmal sogar die der „schönen Mädchen“.
ARCHÄOLOGISCHES MUSEUM
Zu den Sehenswürdigkeiten im Bereich des Tempelbezirks von Khajuraho gehört auch das im Ortskern gelegene Archäologische Museum (auch Rani Durgavati-Museum genannt). Es beherbergt einige sehr schöne Skulpturen, die im Rahmen der Ausgrabungs- und Restaurierungsarbeiten gefunden und hierher verbracht wurden, weil sie keinem der erhaltenen Tempelbauten direkt zuzuordnen waren.
WIKIPEDIA
Uttarakhand is a major pilgrimage center of Hindus. This offers superfluity of holy temples in powerful Himalayas. There are several temples of attention in the Uttaranchal that host devotees throughout the year round.Some of the important temples in Uttarakhand are: Rudranath temple, Madmaheshwar Temple, Badrinath temple, Kedarnath temple, Baji Nath temple, Naina Devi temple, Mansa Devi temple, Lakha Mandal Temple, Har ki Pauri, Gangotri Temple, Gaurikund, Yamunotri temple, Chandi Devi temple, Patalbhubanshwari temple Gangotri temple, Hemkund Saheb, Neelkanth Mahadev are some of them.
uttarakhandtouristplaces.wordpress.com/2013/01/25/temples...
Uttarakhand is a major pilgrimage center of Hindus. This offers superfluity of holy temples in powerful Himalayas. There are several temples of attention in the Uttaranchal that host devotees throughout the year round.Some of the important temples in Uttarakhand are: Rudranath temple, Madmaheshwar Temple, Badrinath temple, Kedarnath temple, Baji Nath temple, Naina Devi temple, Mansa Devi temple, Lakha Mandal Temple, Har ki Pauri, Gangotri Temple, Gaurikund, Yamunotri temple, Chandi Devi temple, Patalbhubanshwari temple Gangotri temple, Hemkund Saheb, Neelkanth Mahadev are some of them.
uttarakhandtouristplaces.wordpress.com/2013/01/25/temples...
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Nandi bull is believed to be the carrier (primary vehicle) of Lord Shiva. An idol of Nandi facing every Shiv temple represents the gate keeper of the shrine.
Outside the Achaleshwar Mahadeva temple, sits the life size brass Nandi guarding the temple, built in 1412 A.D. This Shiv temple is located 11 km north of Mount Abu and has a deep hole, inside the temple, believed to be the toe of Shiva. Normally the Shiv temple has a Lingam instead of this deep hole, said to be extended all the way to Pataal (the underworld).
Mythology has it that, during the Samudra Manthan (churning of the oceans), which took place as a result of the struggle between the Devas and the Rakshasas to achieve immortality, the holy cow of gods, Kamdhenu came out of the ocean. Lord Shiva directed the snake Arbuda to go and rescue the celestial cow. The deferential snake raised the huge section of the earth on which the cow was standing. The raised piece of earth came to be known as Arbudanchal, the present Mount Abu.
Khajuraho was a capital of the Chandela kings from the 9th to the 11th century. During that period, approximately 85 temples were constructed there of which almost 20 remain in good to excellent condition. Khajuraho continued its religious importance until the 14th century but was afterwards largely forgotten and was overgrown by forests. Its remoteness probably saved it from the desecration of human images that Muslim conquerors traditiaonally inflicted on Hindu monuments. In 1838, British army captain, T.S. Burt, "discovered" the temples during a day trip. Burt' immediately recognized the historical value of the temples even though his Victorian sensibilities were shocked by the explicit and erotic sculptures that covered the walls of the temples.
The Kandariya Mahadev Temple is dedicated to Shiva. It is the largest temple in Khajuraho. More than 800 images
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Gorkha District (Nepali: गोरखा जिल्ला, a part of Gandaki Zone, is one of the seventy-five districts of Nepal, a landlocked country of South Asia, and connected historically with the creation of the modern country of Nepal and the name of the legendary Gurkha soldiers. The district, with Pokharithok (Gorkha), later known as Prithivi Narayan Nagarpalika as its district headquarters, covers an area of 3610 km² and has a population (2001) of 288134. It is the location of the Manakamana Temple. Also, the temples of great sage Gorakh Nath and goddess Gorakh Kali temple is located in district, after which the district got its name. Four major rivers run within and along it, they are Chepe, Daraudi, Marsyangdi and Budhi Gandaki.
ORIGIN
The major legends associated with naming of "Gorkha":
- In Nepali, ‘Kharka’ means ‘Grass Land’. This land was believed to be like meadow in Ancient period. Thus it was named Kharka and later the term Kharka got modified to Garkha and Garkha changed to Gorkha.
- In Sanskrit Scripture, ‘Gorakshaa’ means the protection of cow. Since Nepal is a country where killing a Cow is condsidered unholy and a very serious crime, the land was named Goraksha and later it became Gorkha.
- Myth holds that a Saint named Gorakhnath appeared for the first in Nepal in Gorkha. There is still a cave with his paduka (feet) and idol of him in this place which supports the myth. Thus since the city was established in the place where Sage Gorakhnath appeared, it was named ‘Gorkha’.
PLACES TO VISIT
MANAKAMA TEMPLE
The Manakamana Temple situated in the Gorkha district of Nepal is the sacred place of the Hindu Goddess Bhagwati, an incarnation of Parvati. The name Manakamana originates from two words, “mana” meaning heart and “kamana” meaning wish. Venerated since the 17th century, it is believed that Goddess Bhagawati grants the wishes of all those who make the pilgrimage to her shrine to worship her.
GORAKHNATH
It lies ten meters down the southern side of Gorkha Palace which is visited with great devotion by Brahmans and Chhetris considering it to be the holy pilgrimage Site. Great fare is organized each year on the day of Baisakh Purnima(the full moon Day of Baisakh) in Gorakhnath Cave.
GORAKHKALI TEMPLE
This Temple is located at the west side of the Gorkha Palace.
CHEPE, Daraudi, Marsyangdi and Budhi Gandaki.
GORKHA KINGDOM
About 1700 steps leads you to the top of the hill at an altitude of 3281 ft. where Newar fashioned Gorkha Palace stands firm along with forts and temple boasting on its rich History. It is at 40–50 minutes of Walking Distance far from Gorkha Bazaar. One can view Manaslu (the 8th Highest Mountain of the World), Dhaulagiri and Ganesh Mountains from the Palace Complex.
MANASLU
LIGLIGKOT
and Lakhan Thapa Gaon are popular places in Gorkha for Hiking.
DHIKE DADA
is a new attraction for public from Gorkha,Tanahun and Lamjung.
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GORKHA KINGDOM
This article is about the Gorkha Kingdom which later became Nepal. Gorkhā is a former kingdom in the confederation of 24 states known as Chaubisi rajya located in present-day western Nepal. The Kingdom of Gorkha extended from the Marshyangdi River in the west to the Trishuli River in the east, which separated it from the kingdoms of Lamjung and Nepal respectively. The inhabitants of Gorkha were known as Gorkhali.
SHAH DYNASTY
From the 16th century, Gorkha was ruled by the Shah dynasty. The Shahs installed themselves as rulers of Gorkha taking advantage of the confusion of an annual race held at a place called Liglig. It was the tradition of the local Ghale people to choose as their king for the year the fastest runner in the competition. In 1559, Dravya Shah attacked and captured Liglig when the inhabitants were engrossed in the race. He displaced the Ghale king and became king of Gorkha.
EXPANSION CAMPAIGN
From 1736, the Gorkhalis engaged in a campaign of expansion started by king Nara Bhupal Shah, which was continued by his son, King Prithvi Narayan Shah and grandson Prince Bahadur Shah. Over the years, they conquered huge tracts of land to the east and west of Gorkha.
Among their conquests, the most important and valuable acquisition was the wealthy Newar confederacy of Nepal Mandala centered in the Kathmandu Valley. Starting in 1745, the Gorkhalis mounted a blockade in a bid to starve the population into submission, but the inhabitants held out.
The Newars appealed to the British East India Company for help, and in 1767, it sent an expedition under Captain Kinloch which ended in failure. The three Newar capitals of Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur fell to the Gorkhalis between 1768 to 1769. The Gorkhali king subsequently moved his capital to Kathmandu.
In 1788, the Gorkhalis turned their attention north and invaded Tibet. They seized the border towns of Kyirong and Kuti, and forced the Tibetans to pay an annual tribute. When the Tibetans stopped paying it, the Gorkhalis invaded Tibet again in 1791 and plundered the Tashilhunpo Monastery in Shigatse. This time the Chinese army came to Tibet's defence and advanced close to Kathmandu. The alarmed Gorkhalis appealed to the British East India Company for help, but they got none. Eventually, the Gorkhalis were forced to sign a peace treaty under which they had to pay tribute to Beijing every five years.
The Gorkha dominion reached its height at the beginning of the 19th century, extending all along the Himalayan foothills from Kumaon and Garhwal in the west to Sikkim in the east. They were made to return much of the occupied territories after their defeat in the Anglo-Nepalese War (1814–1816).
GORKHA TO NEPAL
The Gorkha dominion continued to be known as Gorkha Rajya (meaning Gorkha Kingdom) until the beginning of the 20th century. Since the 1930s, the name Nepal was used to refer to the entire country as the capital was located in Kathmandu. The name Gorkha Sarkar (meaning Gorkha government) was also changed to Nepal government.
Similarly, the Gorkhali language was renamed as Nepali in 1933. The term Gorkhali in the former national anthem entitled "Shreeman Gambhir" was changed to Nepali in 1951. The government newspaper, launched in 1901, is still known as Gorkhapatra (meaning Gorkha gazette).
The Shah dynasty ruled Nepal until 2008 when it became a republic following a people's movement. Today, Gorkha District, roughly corresponding to the old kingdom, is one of the 75 administrative districts of Nepal.
GURKHAS AND GORKHAS
Not to be confused with the inhabitants of the old Gorkha Kingdom, the Gurkhas are military units in the British or the Indian army (where they are known as Gorkhas) enlisted in Nepal. Their history goes back to the Anglo-Nepalese War and the Sugauli Treaty of 1816. It allowed the British East India Company to recruit men from the Nepalese hills to serve as soldiers under contract.
The British referred to all those who enlisted as Gurkhas regardless of their ethnic heritage or geographical origin in Nepal. These Gurkhas became part of the British Indian Army after its formation.
During World War I (1914–18), more than 200.000 Gurkhas served in the British Army, suffering approximately 20.000 casualties, and receiving almost 2000 gallantry awards.
During World War II (1939–45), a total of 250.280 Gurkhas served in 40 battalions, plus eight Nepalese Army battalions, plus parachute, training, garrison, and porter units. They earned 2734 bravery awards, and suffered around 32.000 casualties in all theatres.
Following Indian independence in 1947, the Gurkha regiments were split between Britain and India.
WIKIPEDIA
Gorkha District (Nepali: गोरखा जिल्ला, a part of Gandaki Zone, is one of the seventy-five districts of Nepal, a landlocked country of South Asia, and connected historically with the creation of the modern country of Nepal and the name of the legendary Gurkha soldiers. The district, with Pokharithok (Gorkha), later known as Prithivi Narayan Nagarpalika as its district headquarters, covers an area of 3610 km² and has a population (2001) of 288134. It is the location of the Manakamana Temple. Also, the temples of great sage Gorakh Nath and goddess Gorakh Kali temple is located in district, after which the district got its name. Four major rivers run within and along it, they are Chepe, Daraudi, Marsyangdi and Budhi Gandaki.
ORIGIN
The major legends associated with naming of "Gorkha":
- In Nepali, ‘Kharka’ means ‘Grass Land’. This land was believed to be like meadow in Ancient period. Thus it was named Kharka and later the term Kharka got modified to Garkha and Garkha changed to Gorkha.
- In Sanskrit Scripture, ‘Gorakshaa’ means the protection of cow. Since Nepal is a country where killing a Cow is condsidered unholy and a very serious crime, the land was named Goraksha and later it became Gorkha.
- Myth holds that a Saint named Gorakhnath appeared for the first in Nepal in Gorkha. There is still a cave with his paduka (feet) and idol of him in this place which supports the myth. Thus since the city was established in the place where Sage Gorakhnath appeared, it was named ‘Gorkha’.
PLACES TO VISIT
MANAKAMA TEMPLE
The Manakamana Temple situated in the Gorkha district of Nepal is the sacred place of the Hindu Goddess Bhagwati, an incarnation of Parvati. The name Manakamana originates from two words, “mana” meaning heart and “kamana” meaning wish. Venerated since the 17th century, it is believed that Goddess Bhagawati grants the wishes of all those who make the pilgrimage to her shrine to worship her.
GORAKHNATH
It lies ten meters down the southern side of Gorkha Palace which is visited with great devotion by Brahmans and Chhetris considering it to be the holy pilgrimage Site. Great fare is organized each year on the day of Baisakh Purnima(the full moon Day of Baisakh) in Gorakhnath Cave.
GORAKHKALI TEMPLE
This Temple is located at the west side of the Gorkha Palace.
CHEPE, Daraudi, Marsyangdi and Budhi Gandaki.
GORKHA KINGDOM
About 1700 steps leads you to the top of the hill at an altitude of 3281 ft. where Newar fashioned Gorkha Palace stands firm along with forts and temple boasting on its rich History. It is at 40–50 minutes of Walking Distance far from Gorkha Bazaar. One can view Manaslu (the 8th Highest Mountain of the World), Dhaulagiri and Ganesh Mountains from the Palace Complex.
MANASLU
LIGLIGKOT
and Lakhan Thapa Gaon are popular places in Gorkha for Hiking.
DHIKE DADA
is a new attraction for public from Gorkha,Tanahun and Lamjung.
___________________________________________
GORKHA KINGDOM
This article is about the Gorkha Kingdom which later became Nepal. Gorkhā is a former kingdom in the confederation of 24 states known as Chaubisi rajya located in present-day western Nepal. The Kingdom of Gorkha extended from the Marshyangdi River in the west to the Trishuli River in the east, which separated it from the kingdoms of Lamjung and Nepal respectively. The inhabitants of Gorkha were known as Gorkhali.
SHAH DYNASTY
From the 16th century, Gorkha was ruled by the Shah dynasty. The Shahs installed themselves as rulers of Gorkha taking advantage of the confusion of an annual race held at a place called Liglig. It was the tradition of the local Ghale people to choose as their king for the year the fastest runner in the competition. In 1559, Dravya Shah attacked and captured Liglig when the inhabitants were engrossed in the race. He displaced the Ghale king and became king of Gorkha.
EXPANSION CAMPAIGN
From 1736, the Gorkhalis engaged in a campaign of expansion started by king Nara Bhupal Shah, which was continued by his son, King Prithvi Narayan Shah and grandson Prince Bahadur Shah. Over the years, they conquered huge tracts of land to the east and west of Gorkha.
Among their conquests, the most important and valuable acquisition was the wealthy Newar confederacy of Nepal Mandala centered in the Kathmandu Valley. Starting in 1745, the Gorkhalis mounted a blockade in a bid to starve the population into submission, but the inhabitants held out.
The Newars appealed to the British East India Company for help, and in 1767, it sent an expedition under Captain Kinloch which ended in failure. The three Newar capitals of Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur fell to the Gorkhalis between 1768 to 1769. The Gorkhali king subsequently moved his capital to Kathmandu.
In 1788, the Gorkhalis turned their attention north and invaded Tibet. They seized the border towns of Kyirong and Kuti, and forced the Tibetans to pay an annual tribute. When the Tibetans stopped paying it, the Gorkhalis invaded Tibet again in 1791 and plundered the Tashilhunpo Monastery in Shigatse. This time the Chinese army came to Tibet's defence and advanced close to Kathmandu. The alarmed Gorkhalis appealed to the British East India Company for help, but they got none. Eventually, the Gorkhalis were forced to sign a peace treaty under which they had to pay tribute to Beijing every five years.
The Gorkha dominion reached its height at the beginning of the 19th century, extending all along the Himalayan foothills from Kumaon and Garhwal in the west to Sikkim in the east. They were made to return much of the occupied territories after their defeat in the Anglo-Nepalese War (1814–1816).
GORKHA TO NEPAL
The Gorkha dominion continued to be known as Gorkha Rajya (meaning Gorkha Kingdom) until the beginning of the 20th century. Since the 1930s, the name Nepal was used to refer to the entire country as the capital was located in Kathmandu. The name Gorkha Sarkar (meaning Gorkha government) was also changed to Nepal government.
Similarly, the Gorkhali language was renamed as Nepali in 1933. The term Gorkhali in the former national anthem entitled "Shreeman Gambhir" was changed to Nepali in 1951. The government newspaper, launched in 1901, is still known as Gorkhapatra (meaning Gorkha gazette).
The Shah dynasty ruled Nepal until 2008 when it became a republic following a people's movement. Today, Gorkha District, roughly corresponding to the old kingdom, is one of the 75 administrative districts of Nepal.
GURKHAS AND GORKHAS
Not to be confused with the inhabitants of the old Gorkha Kingdom, the Gurkhas are military units in the British or the Indian army (where they are known as Gorkhas) enlisted in Nepal. Their history goes back to the Anglo-Nepalese War and the Sugauli Treaty of 1816. It allowed the British East India Company to recruit men from the Nepalese hills to serve as soldiers under contract.
The British referred to all those who enlisted as Gurkhas regardless of their ethnic heritage or geographical origin in Nepal. These Gurkhas became part of the British Indian Army after its formation.
During World War I (1914–18), more than 200.000 Gurkhas served in the British Army, suffering approximately 20.000 casualties, and receiving almost 2000 gallantry awards.
During World War II (1939–45), a total of 250.280 Gurkhas served in 40 battalions, plus eight Nepalese Army battalions, plus parachute, training, garrison, and porter units. They earned 2734 bravery awards, and suffered around 32.000 casualties in all theatres.
Following Indian independence in 1947, the Gurkha regiments were split between Britain and India.
WIKIPEDIA
Paravati baag is the last milestone during Shrikhand Mahadev Yatra. Shrikhand is around 7KMs away from this place and this the last Stop for the night stay during the journey.
Title: Kandariya Mahadeva
Other title: Kandariya Mahadeva (Khajuraho, India)
Date: circa 1000-1025
Current location: Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh , India
Description of work: Khajuraho is the site of numerous Jain and Hindu temples, separated into three sections (eastern, western, and southern). Today 25 temples remain. The Kandariya Mahadeva temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva, located in the western group, and shares a platform with the Devi Jagadamba temple and the Mahadeva temple.
Description of view: Close view of the side of the temple entrance porch.
Work type: Architecture and Landscape
Style of work: Asian: South Asian: Indian: Post-Gupta: Candella
Culture: Indian
Materials/Techniques: Stone
Source: Pisciotta, Henry (copyright Henry Pisciotta)
Date photographed: 10/29/2008
Resource type: Image
File format: JPEG
Image size: 2304H X 3072W pixels
Permitted uses: This image is posted publicly for non-profit educational uses, excluding printed publication. Other uses are not permitted. For additional details see: alias.libraries.psu.edu/vius/copyright/publicrightsarch.htm
Collection: Worldwide Building and Landscape Pictures
Filename: WB2008-0596 Kandariya.jpg
Record ID: WB2008-0596
Sub collection: religious buildings: temples
Copyight holder: Copyright Henry Pisciotta
Uttarakhand is a major pilgrimage center of Hindus. This offers superfluity of holy temples in powerful Himalayas. There are several temples of attention in the Uttaranchal that host devotees throughout the year round.Some of the important temples in Uttarakhand are: Rudranath temple, Madmaheshwar Temple, Badrinath temple, Kedarnath temple, Baji Nath temple, Naina Devi temple, Mansa Devi temple, Lakha Mandal Temple, Har ki Pauri, Gangotri Temple, Gaurikund, Yamunotri temple, Chandi Devi temple, Patalbhubanshwari temple Gangotri temple, Hemkund Saheb, Neelkanth Mahadev are some of them.
uttarakhandtouristplaces.wordpress.com/2013/01/25/temples...
Nandi bull is believed to be the carrier (primary vehicle) of Shiva. An idol of Nandi facing every Shiv temple represents the gate keeper of the shrine.
Outside the Achaleshwar Mahadeva temple, sits the life size brass Nandi guarding the temple, built in 1412 A.D. This Shiv temple is located 11 km north of Mount Abu and has a deep hole, inside the temple, believed to be the toe of Shiva. Normally the Shiv temple has a Lingam instead of this deep hole, said to be extended all the way to Pataal (the underworld).
Photography is restricted inside the temple. Outside the temple, the charges are Rs.10 for still photography.
Title: Kandariya Mahadeva
Other title: Kandariya Mahadeva (Khajuraho, India)
Date: circa 1000-1025
Current location: Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh , India
Description of work: Khajuraho is the site of numerous Jain and Hindu temples, separated into three sections (eastern, western, and southern). Today 25 temples remain. The Kandariya Mahadeva temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva, located in the western group, and shares a platform with the Devi Jagadamba temple and the Mahadeva temple.
Description of view: Side view with the Mahadeva shrine in the center and people on the platform that connects them.
Work type: Architecture and Landscape
Style of work: Asian: South Asian: Indian: Post-Gupta: Candella
Culture: Indian
Materials/Techniques: Stone
Source: Pisciotta, Henry (copyright Henry Pisciotta)
Date photographed: 10/29/2008
Resource type: Image
File format: JPEG
Image size: 2304H X 3072W pixels
Permitted uses: This image is posted publicly for non-profit educational uses, excluding printed publication. Other uses are not permitted. For additional details see: alias.libraries.psu.edu/vius/copyright/publicrightsarch.htm
Collection: Worldwide Building and Landscape Pictures
Filename: WB2008-0597 Kandariya.jpg
Record ID: WB2008-0597
Sub collection: religious buildings: temples
Copyight holder: Copyright Henry Pisciotta
Credit: Jenny_Kim / Clinton Global Initiative
Breakout Session: Water Scarcity: From the Wetlands to the Water Glass
PARTICIPANTS:
Jane Madgwick, Chief Executive Officer, Wetlands International
Mahadev Raman, Arup Fellow | Chairman Americas Region, Arup
Achim Steiner, Executive Director , United Nations Environment Programme
Robert Zimmerman, Senior Manager of Sustainability, Kohler Co.
FACILITATORS:
Ravi Chhatpar, Co-Founder and Principal, Dalberg’s Design Impact Group
Robert Fabricant, Co-Founder and Principal, Dalberg’s Design Impact Group
Gorkha District (Nepali: गोरखा जिल्ला, a part of Gandaki Zone, is one of the seventy-five districts of Nepal, a landlocked country of South Asia, and connected historically with the creation of the modern country of Nepal and the name of the legendary Gurkha soldiers. The district, with Pokharithok (Gorkha), later known as Prithivi Narayan Nagarpalika as its district headquarters, covers an area of 3610 km² and has a population (2001) of 288134. It is the location of the Manakamana Temple. Also, the temples of great sage Gorakh Nath and goddess Gorakh Kali temple is located in district, after which the district got its name. Four major rivers run within and along it, they are Chepe, Daraudi, Marsyangdi and Budhi Gandaki.
ORIGIN
The major legends associated with naming of "Gorkha":
- In Nepali, ‘Kharka’ means ‘Grass Land’. This land was believed to be like meadow in Ancient period. Thus it was named Kharka and later the term Kharka got modified to Garkha and Garkha changed to Gorkha.
- In Sanskrit Scripture, ‘Gorakshaa’ means the protection of cow. Since Nepal is a country where killing a Cow is condsidered unholy and a very serious crime, the land was named Goraksha and later it became Gorkha.
- Myth holds that a Saint named Gorakhnath appeared for the first in Nepal in Gorkha. There is still a cave with his paduka (feet) and idol of him in this place which supports the myth. Thus since the city was established in the place where Sage Gorakhnath appeared, it was named ‘Gorkha’.
PLACES TO VISIT
MANAKAMA TEMPLE
The Manakamana Temple situated in the Gorkha district of Nepal is the sacred place of the Hindu Goddess Bhagwati, an incarnation of Parvati. The name Manakamana originates from two words, “mana” meaning heart and “kamana” meaning wish. Venerated since the 17th century, it is believed that Goddess Bhagawati grants the wishes of all those who make the pilgrimage to her shrine to worship her.
GORAKHNATH
It lies ten meters down the southern side of Gorkha Palace which is visited with great devotion by Brahmans and Chhetris considering it to be the holy pilgrimage Site. Great fare is organized each year on the day of Baisakh Purnima(the full moon Day of Baisakh) in Gorakhnath Cave.
GORAKHKALI TEMPLE
This Temple is located at the west side of the Gorkha Palace.
CHEPE, Daraudi, Marsyangdi and Budhi Gandaki.
GORKHA KINGDOM
About 1700 steps leads you to the top of the hill at an altitude of 3281 ft. where Newar fashioned Gorkha Palace stands firm along with forts and temple boasting on its rich History. It is at 40–50 minutes of Walking Distance far from Gorkha Bazaar. One can view Manaslu (the 8th Highest Mountain of the World), Dhaulagiri and Ganesh Mountains from the Palace Complex.
MANASLU
LIGLIGKOT
and Lakhan Thapa Gaon are popular places in Gorkha for Hiking.
DHIKE DADA
is a new attraction for public from Gorkha,Tanahun and Lamjung.
___________________________________________
GORKHA KINGDOM
This article is about the Gorkha Kingdom which later became Nepal. Gorkhā is a former kingdom in the confederation of 24 states known as Chaubisi rajya located in present-day western Nepal. The Kingdom of Gorkha extended from the Marshyangdi River in the west to the Trishuli River in the east, which separated it from the kingdoms of Lamjung and Nepal respectively. The inhabitants of Gorkha were known as Gorkhali.
SHAH DYNASTY
From the 16th century, Gorkha was ruled by the Shah dynasty. The Shahs installed themselves as rulers of Gorkha taking advantage of the confusion of an annual race held at a place called Liglig. It was the tradition of the local Ghale people to choose as their king for the year the fastest runner in the competition. In 1559, Dravya Shah attacked and captured Liglig when the inhabitants were engrossed in the race. He displaced the Ghale king and became king of Gorkha.
EXPANSION CAMPAIGN
From 1736, the Gorkhalis engaged in a campaign of expansion started by king Nara Bhupal Shah, which was continued by his son, King Prithvi Narayan Shah and grandson Prince Bahadur Shah. Over the years, they conquered huge tracts of land to the east and west of Gorkha.
Among their conquests, the most important and valuable acquisition was the wealthy Newar confederacy of Nepal Mandala centered in the Kathmandu Valley. Starting in 1745, the Gorkhalis mounted a blockade in a bid to starve the population into submission, but the inhabitants held out.
The Newars appealed to the British East India Company for help, and in 1767, it sent an expedition under Captain Kinloch which ended in failure. The three Newar capitals of Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur fell to the Gorkhalis between 1768 to 1769. The Gorkhali king subsequently moved his capital to Kathmandu.
In 1788, the Gorkhalis turned their attention north and invaded Tibet. They seized the border towns of Kyirong and Kuti, and forced the Tibetans to pay an annual tribute. When the Tibetans stopped paying it, the Gorkhalis invaded Tibet again in 1791 and plundered the Tashilhunpo Monastery in Shigatse. This time the Chinese army came to Tibet's defence and advanced close to Kathmandu. The alarmed Gorkhalis appealed to the British East India Company for help, but they got none. Eventually, the Gorkhalis were forced to sign a peace treaty under which they had to pay tribute to Beijing every five years.
The Gorkha dominion reached its height at the beginning of the 19th century, extending all along the Himalayan foothills from Kumaon and Garhwal in the west to Sikkim in the east. They were made to return much of the occupied territories after their defeat in the Anglo-Nepalese War (1814–1816).
GORKHA TO NEPAL
The Gorkha dominion continued to be known as Gorkha Rajya (meaning Gorkha Kingdom) until the beginning of the 20th century. Since the 1930s, the name Nepal was used to refer to the entire country as the capital was located in Kathmandu. The name Gorkha Sarkar (meaning Gorkha government) was also changed to Nepal government.
Similarly, the Gorkhali language was renamed as Nepali in 1933. The term Gorkhali in the former national anthem entitled "Shreeman Gambhir" was changed to Nepali in 1951. The government newspaper, launched in 1901, is still known as Gorkhapatra (meaning Gorkha gazette).
The Shah dynasty ruled Nepal until 2008 when it became a republic following a people's movement. Today, Gorkha District, roughly corresponding to the old kingdom, is one of the 75 administrative districts of Nepal.
GURKHAS AND GORKHAS
Not to be confused with the inhabitants of the old Gorkha Kingdom, the Gurkhas are military units in the British or the Indian army (where they are known as Gorkhas) enlisted in Nepal. Their history goes back to the Anglo-Nepalese War and the Sugauli Treaty of 1816. It allowed the British East India Company to recruit men from the Nepalese hills to serve as soldiers under contract.
The British referred to all those who enlisted as Gurkhas regardless of their ethnic heritage or geographical origin in Nepal. These Gurkhas became part of the British Indian Army after its formation.
During World War I (1914–18), more than 200.000 Gurkhas served in the British Army, suffering approximately 20.000 casualties, and receiving almost 2000 gallantry awards.
During World War II (1939–45), a total of 250.280 Gurkhas served in 40 battalions, plus eight Nepalese Army battalions, plus parachute, training, garrison, and porter units. They earned 2734 bravery awards, and suffered around 32.000 casualties in all theatres.
Following Indian independence in 1947, the Gurkha regiments were split between Britain and India.
WIKIPEDIA
Gorkha District (Nepali: गोरखा जिल्ला, a part of Gandaki Zone, is one of the seventy-five districts of Nepal, a landlocked country of South Asia, and connected historically with the creation of the modern country of Nepal and the name of the legendary Gurkha soldiers. The district, with Pokharithok (Gorkha), later known as Prithivi Narayan Nagarpalika as its district headquarters, covers an area of 3610 km² and has a population (2001) of 288134. It is the location of the Manakamana Temple. Also, the temples of great sage Gorakh Nath and goddess Gorakh Kali temple is located in district, after which the district got its name. Four major rivers run within and along it, they are Chepe, Daraudi, Marsyangdi and Budhi Gandaki.
ORIGIN
The major legends associated with naming of "Gorkha":
- In Nepali, ‘Kharka’ means ‘Grass Land’. This land was believed to be like meadow in Ancient period. Thus it was named Kharka and later the term Kharka got modified to Garkha and Garkha changed to Gorkha.
- In Sanskrit Scripture, ‘Gorakshaa’ means the protection of cow. Since Nepal is a country where killing a Cow is condsidered unholy and a very serious crime, the land was named Goraksha and later it became Gorkha.
- Myth holds that a Saint named Gorakhnath appeared for the first in Nepal in Gorkha. There is still a cave with his paduka (feet) and idol of him in this place which supports the myth. Thus since the city was established in the place where Sage Gorakhnath appeared, it was named ‘Gorkha’.
PLACES TO VISIT
MANAKAMA TEMPLE
The Manakamana Temple situated in the Gorkha district of Nepal is the sacred place of the Hindu Goddess Bhagwati, an incarnation of Parvati. The name Manakamana originates from two words, “mana” meaning heart and “kamana” meaning wish. Venerated since the 17th century, it is believed that Goddess Bhagawati grants the wishes of all those who make the pilgrimage to her shrine to worship her.
GORAKHNATH
It lies ten meters down the southern side of Gorkha Palace which is visited with great devotion by Brahmans and Chhetris considering it to be the holy pilgrimage Site. Great fare is organized each year on the day of Baisakh Purnima(the full moon Day of Baisakh) in Gorakhnath Cave.
GORAKHKALI TEMPLE
This Temple is located at the west side of the Gorkha Palace.
CHEPE, Daraudi, Marsyangdi and Budhi Gandaki.
GORKHA KINGDOM
About 1700 steps leads you to the top of the hill at an altitude of 3281 ft. where Newar fashioned Gorkha Palace stands firm along with forts and temple boasting on its rich History. It is at 40–50 minutes of Walking Distance far from Gorkha Bazaar. One can view Manaslu (the 8th Highest Mountain of the World), Dhaulagiri and Ganesh Mountains from the Palace Complex.
MANASLU
LIGLIGKOT
and Lakhan Thapa Gaon are popular places in Gorkha for Hiking.
DHIKE DADA
is a new attraction for public from Gorkha,Tanahun and Lamjung.
___________________________________________
GORKHA KINGDOM
This article is about the Gorkha Kingdom which later became Nepal. Gorkhā is a former kingdom in the confederation of 24 states known as Chaubisi rajya located in present-day western Nepal. The Kingdom of Gorkha extended from the Marshyangdi River in the west to the Trishuli River in the east, which separated it from the kingdoms of Lamjung and Nepal respectively. The inhabitants of Gorkha were known as Gorkhali.
SHAH DYNASTY
From the 16th century, Gorkha was ruled by the Shah dynasty. The Shahs installed themselves as rulers of Gorkha taking advantage of the confusion of an annual race held at a place called Liglig. It was the tradition of the local Ghale people to choose as their king for the year the fastest runner in the competition. In 1559, Dravya Shah attacked and captured Liglig when the inhabitants were engrossed in the race. He displaced the Ghale king and became king of Gorkha.
EXPANSION CAMPAIGN
From 1736, the Gorkhalis engaged in a campaign of expansion started by king Nara Bhupal Shah, which was continued by his son, King Prithvi Narayan Shah and grandson Prince Bahadur Shah. Over the years, they conquered huge tracts of land to the east and west of Gorkha.
Among their conquests, the most important and valuable acquisition was the wealthy Newar confederacy of Nepal Mandala centered in the Kathmandu Valley. Starting in 1745, the Gorkhalis mounted a blockade in a bid to starve the population into submission, but the inhabitants held out.
The Newars appealed to the British East India Company for help, and in 1767, it sent an expedition under Captain Kinloch which ended in failure. The three Newar capitals of Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur fell to the Gorkhalis between 1768 to 1769. The Gorkhali king subsequently moved his capital to Kathmandu.
In 1788, the Gorkhalis turned their attention north and invaded Tibet. They seized the border towns of Kyirong and Kuti, and forced the Tibetans to pay an annual tribute. When the Tibetans stopped paying it, the Gorkhalis invaded Tibet again in 1791 and plundered the Tashilhunpo Monastery in Shigatse. This time the Chinese army came to Tibet's defence and advanced close to Kathmandu. The alarmed Gorkhalis appealed to the British East India Company for help, but they got none. Eventually, the Gorkhalis were forced to sign a peace treaty under which they had to pay tribute to Beijing every five years.
The Gorkha dominion reached its height at the beginning of the 19th century, extending all along the Himalayan foothills from Kumaon and Garhwal in the west to Sikkim in the east. They were made to return much of the occupied territories after their defeat in the Anglo-Nepalese War (1814–1816).
GORKHA TO NEPAL
The Gorkha dominion continued to be known as Gorkha Rajya (meaning Gorkha Kingdom) until the beginning of the 20th century. Since the 1930s, the name Nepal was used to refer to the entire country as the capital was located in Kathmandu. The name Gorkha Sarkar (meaning Gorkha government) was also changed to Nepal government.
Similarly, the Gorkhali language was renamed as Nepali in 1933. The term Gorkhali in the former national anthem entitled "Shreeman Gambhir" was changed to Nepali in 1951. The government newspaper, launched in 1901, is still known as Gorkhapatra (meaning Gorkha gazette).
The Shah dynasty ruled Nepal until 2008 when it became a republic following a people's movement. Today, Gorkha District, roughly corresponding to the old kingdom, is one of the 75 administrative districts of Nepal.
GURKHAS AND GORKHAS
Not to be confused with the inhabitants of the old Gorkha Kingdom, the Gurkhas are military units in the British or the Indian army (where they are known as Gorkhas) enlisted in Nepal. Their history goes back to the Anglo-Nepalese War and the Sugauli Treaty of 1816. It allowed the British East India Company to recruit men from the Nepalese hills to serve as soldiers under contract.
The British referred to all those who enlisted as Gurkhas regardless of their ethnic heritage or geographical origin in Nepal. These Gurkhas became part of the British Indian Army after its formation.
During World War I (1914–18), more than 200.000 Gurkhas served in the British Army, suffering approximately 20.000 casualties, and receiving almost 2000 gallantry awards.
During World War II (1939–45), a total of 250.280 Gurkhas served in 40 battalions, plus eight Nepalese Army battalions, plus parachute, training, garrison, and porter units. They earned 2734 bravery awards, and suffered around 32.000 casualties in all theatres.
Following Indian independence in 1947, the Gurkha regiments were split between Britain and India.
WIKIPEDIA
in Devo ke Dev Mahadev.
Parvati, Chandika (Durga / adi shakti) and Chamunda (Kali) played by Sonarika Bhadoria
Please like the page of Sonarika on fb
Vaidraj Shiva Mandir located in Surat City of Gujarat, India. Shravan month every sivalay anointed worship and har har Mahadev jayaghosh gunji are lifted.
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Nishkalank Mahadev temple is located in koliyak village at Bhavnagar District. In every Friday all visitors can visit Nishkalank Mahadev Mandir. You can visit this temple only two times in 24 hours.
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Gorkha District (Nepali: गोरखा जिल्ला, a part of Gandaki Zone, is one of the seventy-five districts of Nepal, a landlocked country of South Asia, and connected historically with the creation of the modern country of Nepal and the name of the legendary Gurkha soldiers. The district, with Pokharithok (Gorkha), later known as Prithivi Narayan Nagarpalika as its district headquarters, covers an area of 3610 km² and has a population (2001) of 288134. It is the location of the Manakamana Temple. Also, the temples of great sage Gorakh Nath and goddess Gorakh Kali temple is located in district, after which the district got its name. Four major rivers run within and along it, they are Chepe, Daraudi, Marsyangdi and Budhi Gandaki.
ORIGIN
The major legends associated with naming of "Gorkha":
- In Nepali, ‘Kharka’ means ‘Grass Land’. This land was believed to be like meadow in Ancient period. Thus it was named Kharka and later the term Kharka got modified to Garkha and Garkha changed to Gorkha.
- In Sanskrit Scripture, ‘Gorakshaa’ means the protection of cow. Since Nepal is a country where killing a Cow is condsidered unholy and a very serious crime, the land was named Goraksha and later it became Gorkha.
- Myth holds that a Saint named Gorakhnath appeared for the first in Nepal in Gorkha. There is still a cave with his paduka (feet) and idol of him in this place which supports the myth. Thus since the city was established in the place where Sage Gorakhnath appeared, it was named ‘Gorkha’.
PLACES TO VISIT
MANAKAMA TEMPLE
The Manakamana Temple situated in the Gorkha district of Nepal is the sacred place of the Hindu Goddess Bhagwati, an incarnation of Parvati. The name Manakamana originates from two words, “mana” meaning heart and “kamana” meaning wish. Venerated since the 17th century, it is believed that Goddess Bhagawati grants the wishes of all those who make the pilgrimage to her shrine to worship her.
GORAKHNATH
It lies ten meters down the southern side of Gorkha Palace which is visited with great devotion by Brahmans and Chhetris considering it to be the holy pilgrimage Site. Great fare is organized each year on the day of Baisakh Purnima(the full moon Day of Baisakh) in Gorakhnath Cave.
GORAKHKALI TEMPLE
This Temple is located at the west side of the Gorkha Palace.
CHEPE, Daraudi, Marsyangdi and Budhi Gandaki.
GORKHA KINGDOM
About 1700 steps leads you to the top of the hill at an altitude of 3281 ft. where Newar fashioned Gorkha Palace stands firm along with forts and temple boasting on its rich History. It is at 40–50 minutes of Walking Distance far from Gorkha Bazaar. One can view Manaslu (the 8th Highest Mountain of the World), Dhaulagiri and Ganesh Mountains from the Palace Complex.
MANASLU
LIGLIGKOT
and Lakhan Thapa Gaon are popular places in Gorkha for Hiking.
DHIKE DADA
is a new attraction for public from Gorkha,Tanahun and Lamjung.
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GORKHA KINGDOM
This article is about the Gorkha Kingdom which later became Nepal. Gorkhā is a former kingdom in the confederation of 24 states known as Chaubisi rajya located in present-day western Nepal. The Kingdom of Gorkha extended from the Marshyangdi River in the west to the Trishuli River in the east, which separated it from the kingdoms of Lamjung and Nepal respectively. The inhabitants of Gorkha were known as Gorkhali.
SHAH DYNASTY
From the 16th century, Gorkha was ruled by the Shah dynasty. The Shahs installed themselves as rulers of Gorkha taking advantage of the confusion of an annual race held at a place called Liglig. It was the tradition of the local Ghale people to choose as their king for the year the fastest runner in the competition. In 1559, Dravya Shah attacked and captured Liglig when the inhabitants were engrossed in the race. He displaced the Ghale king and became king of Gorkha.
EXPANSION CAMPAIGN
From 1736, the Gorkhalis engaged in a campaign of expansion started by king Nara Bhupal Shah, which was continued by his son, King Prithvi Narayan Shah and grandson Prince Bahadur Shah. Over the years, they conquered huge tracts of land to the east and west of Gorkha.
Among their conquests, the most important and valuable acquisition was the wealthy Newar confederacy of Nepal Mandala centered in the Kathmandu Valley. Starting in 1745, the Gorkhalis mounted a blockade in a bid to starve the population into submission, but the inhabitants held out.
The Newars appealed to the British East India Company for help, and in 1767, it sent an expedition under Captain Kinloch which ended in failure. The three Newar capitals of Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur fell to the Gorkhalis between 1768 to 1769. The Gorkhali king subsequently moved his capital to Kathmandu.
In 1788, the Gorkhalis turned their attention north and invaded Tibet. They seized the border towns of Kyirong and Kuti, and forced the Tibetans to pay an annual tribute. When the Tibetans stopped paying it, the Gorkhalis invaded Tibet again in 1791 and plundered the Tashilhunpo Monastery in Shigatse. This time the Chinese army came to Tibet's defence and advanced close to Kathmandu. The alarmed Gorkhalis appealed to the British East India Company for help, but they got none. Eventually, the Gorkhalis were forced to sign a peace treaty under which they had to pay tribute to Beijing every five years.
The Gorkha dominion reached its height at the beginning of the 19th century, extending all along the Himalayan foothills from Kumaon and Garhwal in the west to Sikkim in the east. They were made to return much of the occupied territories after their defeat in the Anglo-Nepalese War (1814–1816).
GORKHA TO NEPAL
The Gorkha dominion continued to be known as Gorkha Rajya (meaning Gorkha Kingdom) until the beginning of the 20th century. Since the 1930s, the name Nepal was used to refer to the entire country as the capital was located in Kathmandu. The name Gorkha Sarkar (meaning Gorkha government) was also changed to Nepal government.
Similarly, the Gorkhali language was renamed as Nepali in 1933. The term Gorkhali in the former national anthem entitled "Shreeman Gambhir" was changed to Nepali in 1951. The government newspaper, launched in 1901, is still known as Gorkhapatra (meaning Gorkha gazette).
The Shah dynasty ruled Nepal until 2008 when it became a republic following a people's movement. Today, Gorkha District, roughly corresponding to the old kingdom, is one of the 75 administrative districts of Nepal.
GURKHAS AND GORKHAS
Not to be confused with the inhabitants of the old Gorkha Kingdom, the Gurkhas are military units in the British or the Indian army (where they are known as Gorkhas) enlisted in Nepal. Their history goes back to the Anglo-Nepalese War and the Sugauli Treaty of 1816. It allowed the British East India Company to recruit men from the Nepalese hills to serve as soldiers under contract.
The British referred to all those who enlisted as Gurkhas regardless of their ethnic heritage or geographical origin in Nepal. These Gurkhas became part of the British Indian Army after its formation.
During World War I (1914–18), more than 200.000 Gurkhas served in the British Army, suffering approximately 20.000 casualties, and receiving almost 2000 gallantry awards.
During World War II (1939–45), a total of 250.280 Gurkhas served in 40 battalions, plus eight Nepalese Army battalions, plus parachute, training, garrison, and porter units. They earned 2734 bravery awards, and suffered around 32.000 casualties in all theatres.
Following Indian independence in 1947, the Gurkha regiments were split between Britain and India.
WIKIPEDIA
Chitragupta is a Hindu god assigned with the task of keeping complete records of actions of human beings on the earth. Upon their death, Chitragupta has the task of deciding heaven or the hell for the humans, depending on their actions on the earth.
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The Khajuraho Group of Monuments is a group of Hindu and Jain temples in Madhya Pradesh, India. About 175 kilometres southeast of Jhansi, they are one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India. The temples are famous for their nagara-style architectural symbolism and their erotic sculptures.
Most Khajuraho temples were built between 950 and 1050 CE by the Chandela dynasty. Historical records note that Khajuraho temple site had 85 temples by 12th century, spread over 20 square kilometers. Of these, only about 20 temples have survived, spread over 6 square kilometers. Of the various surviving temples, the Kandariya temple is decorated with a profusion of sculptures with intricate details, symbolism and expressiveness of ancient Indian art.
The Khajuraho group of temples were built together but were dedicated to two religions namely Hinduism and Jainism - suggesting a tradition of acceptance and respect for diverse religious views among Hindus and Jains.
LOCATION
Khajuraho group of monuments are located in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, in Chhatarpur District, about 620 kilometres southeast of New Delhi. The temples are in a small town also known as Khajuraho, with a population of about 20,000 people (2001 Census).
Khajuraho is served by Khajuraho Airport (IATA Code: HJR), with services to Delhi, Agra and Mumbai. The site is also linked by Indian Railways service, with the railway station approximately six kilometer from the monuments entrance.
The monuments are about 10 kilometres off the east-west National Highway 75, and about 50 kilometres from the city of Chhatarpur, that is connected to Bhopal - the state capital - by the SW-NE running National Highway 86.
HISTORY
The Khajuraho group of monuments were built during the rule of Rajput Chandela dynasty. The building activity started almost immediately after the rise of their power, throughout their kingdom to be later known as Bundelkhand. Most temples were built during the reigns of the Hindu kings Yashovarman and Dhanga. Yashovarman's legacy is best exhibited by Lakshmana temple. Vishvanatha temple best highlights King Dhanga's reign.:22 The largest and currently most famous surviving temple is Kandariya Mahadeva built in the reign of King Ganda from 1017-1029 CE. The temple inscriptions suggest many of the currently surviving temples were complete between 970 to 1030 CE, with few more temples completed in decades thereafter.
The Khajuraho temples were built about 35 miles from the medieval city of Mahoba, the capital of Chandela dynasty, in Kalinjar region. In ancient and medieval literature, their kingdom has been called Jijhoti, Jejahoti, Chih-chi-to and Jejakabhukti.
Khajuraho were mentioned by Abu Rihan-al-Biruni, the Persian historian who accompanied Mahmud of Ghazni in his raid of Kalinjar in 1022 CE; he mentions Khajuraho as the capital of Jajahuti. The raid was unsuccessful, and a peace accord was reached when the Hindu king agreed to pay a ransom to Mahmud of Ghazni to end the attack and leave.
Khajuraho temples were in active use through the end of 12th century. This changed in the 13th century, after the army of Delhi Sultanate, under the command of the Muslim Sultan Qutb-ud-din Aibak, attacked and seized the Chandela kingdom. About a century later, Ibn Battuta, the Moroccan traveller in his memoirs about his stay in India from 1335 to 1342 CE, mentioned visiting Khajuraho temples, calling them “Kajarra” as follows:
...near (Khajuraho) temples, which contain idols that have been mutilated by the Moslems, live a number of yogis whose matted locks have grown as long as their bodies. And on account of extreme asceticism they are all yellow in colour. Many Moslems attend these men in order to take lessons (yoga) from them.
— Ibn Battuta, about 1335 CE, Riḥlat Ibn Baṭūṭah, Translated by Arthur Cotterell
Central Indian region, where Khajuraho temples are, remained in the control of many different Muslim dynasties from 13th century through the 18th century. In this period, some temples were desecrated, followed by a long period when they were left in neglect. In 1495 CE, for example, Sikandar Lodi’s campaign of temple destruction included Khajuraho. The remoteness and isolation of Khajuraho protected the Hindu and Jain temples from continued destruction by Muslims. Over the centuries, vegetation and forests overgrew, took over the temples.
In the 1830s, local Hindus guided a British surveyor, T.S. Burt, to the temples and they were thus rediscovered by the global audience. Alexander Cunningham later reported, few years after the rediscovery, that the temples were secretly in use by yogis and thousands of Hindus would arrive for pilgrimage during Shivaratri celebrated annually in February or March based on a lunar calendar. In 1852, Maisey prepared earliest drawings of the Khajuraho temples.
NOMENCLATURE
The name Khajuraho, or Kharjuravāhaka, is derived from ancient Sanskrit (kharjura, खर्जूर means date palm, and vāhaka, वाहक means "one who carries" or bearer). Local legends state that the temples had two golden date-palm trees as their gate (missing when they were rediscovered). Desai states that Kharjuravāhaka also means scorpion bearer, which is another symbolic name for deity Shiva (who wears snakes and scorpion garlands in his fierce form).
Cunningham’s nomenclature and systematic documentation work in 1850s and 1860s have been widely adopted and continue to be in use. He grouped the temples into the Western group around Lakshmana, Eastern group around Javeri, and Southern group around Duladeva.
Khajuraho is one of the four holy sites linked to deity Shiva (the other three are Kedarnath, Kashi and Gaya). Its origin and design is a subject of scholarly studies. Shobita Punja has proposed that the temple’s origin reflect the Hindu mythology in which Khajuraho is the place where Shiva got married; with Raghuvamsha verse 5.53, Matangeshvara honoring ‘’Matanga’’, or god of love.
DESCRIPTION
The temple site is within Vindhya mountain range in central India. An ancient local legend held that Hindu deity Shiva and other gods enjoyed visiting the dramatic hill formation in Kalinjar area. The center of this region is Khajuraho, set midst local hills and rivers. The temple complex reflects the ancient Hindu tradition of building temples where gods love to play.
The temples are clustered near water, another typical feature of Hindu temples. The current water bodies include Sib Sagar, Khajur Sagar (also called Ninora Tal) and Khudar Nadi (river). The local legends state that the temple complex had 64 water bodies, of which 56 have been physically identified by archeologists so far.
All temples, except one (Chaturbhuja) face sunrise - another symbolic feature that is predominant in Hindu temples. The relative layout of temples integrate masculine and feminine deities and symbols highlight the interdependence. The art work symbolically highlight the four goals of life considered necessary and proper in Hinduism - dharma, kama, artha and moksha.
Of the surviving temples, 6 are dedicated to Shiva and his consorts, 8 to Vishnu and his affinities, 1 to Ganesha, 1 to Sun god, 3 to Jain Tirthanks. For some ruins, there is insufficient evidence to assign the temple to specific deities with confidence.
An overall examination of site suggests that the Hindu symbolic mandala design principle of square and circles is present each temple plan and design. Further, the territory is laid out in three triangles that converge to form a pentagon. Scholars suggest that this reflects the Hindu symbolism for three realms or trilokinatha, and five cosmic substances or panchbhuteshvara. The temple site highlights Shiva, the one who destroys and recycles life, thereby controlling the cosmic dance of time, evolution and dissolution.
The temples have a rich display of intricately carved statues. While they are famous for their erotic sculpture, sexual themes cover less than 10% of the temple sculpture. Further, most erotic scene panels are neither prominent nor emphasized at the expense of the rest, rather they are in proportional balance with the non-sexual images. The viewer has to look closely to find them, or be directed by a guide. The arts cover numerous aspects of human life and values considered important in Hindu pantheon. Further, the images are arranged in a configuration to express central ideas of Hinduism. All three ideas from Āgamas are richly expressed in Khajuraho temples - Avyakta, Vyaktavyakta and Vyakta.
The Beejamandal temple is under excavation. It has been identified with the Vaidyanath temple mentioned in the Grahpati Kokalla inscription.
Of all temples, the Matangeshvara temple remains an active site of worship. It is another square grid temple, with a large 2.5 metres high and 1.1 metres diameter lingam, placed on a 7.6 metres diameter platform.
The most visited temple, Kandariya Mahadev, has an area of about 6,500 square feet and a shikhara (spire) that rise
s 116 feet.
Jain templesThe Jain temples are located on east-southeast region of Khajuraho monuments. Chausath jogini temple features 64 jogini, while Ghantai temple features bells sculptured on its pillars.
ARCHITECTURE OF THE TEMPLES
Khajuraho temples, like almost all Hindu temple designs, follow a grid geometrical design called vastu-purusha-mandala. This design plan has three important components - Mandala means circle, Purusha is universal essence at the core of Hindu tradition, while Vastu means the dwelling structure.
The design lays out a Hindu temple in a symmetrical, concentrically layered, self-repeating structure around the core of the temple called garbhagriya, where the abstract principle Purusha and the primary deity of the temple dwell. The shikhara, or spire, of the temple rises above the garbhagriya. This symmetry and structure in design is derived from central beliefs, myths, cardinality and mathematical principles.
The circle of mandala circumscribe the square. The square is considered divine for its perfection and as a symbolic product of knowledge and human thought, while circle is considered earthly, human and observed in everyday life (moon, sun, horizon, water drop, rainbow). Each supports the other. The square is divided into perfect 64 sub-squares called padas.
Most Khajuraho temples deploy the 8x8 padas grid Manduka Vastupurushamandala, with pitha mandala the square grid incorporated in the design of the spires. The primary deity or lingas are located in the grid’s Brahma padas.The architecture is symbolic and reflects the central Hindu beliefs through its form, structure and arrangement of its parts. The mandapas as well as the arts are arranged in the Khajuraho temples in a symmetric repeating patterns, even though each image or sculpture is distinctive in its own way. The relative placement of the images are not random but together they express ideas, just like connected words form sentences and paragraphs to compose ideas. This fractal pattern that is common in Hindu temples. Various statues and panels have inscriptions. Many of the inscriptions on the temple walls are poems with double meanings, something that the complex structure of Sanskrit allows in creative compositions. All Khajuraho temples, except one, face sunrise, and the entrance for the devotee is this east side.
Above the vastu-purusha-mandala of each temple is a superstructure with a dome called Shikhara (or Vimana, Spire). Variations in spire design come from variation in degrees turned for the squares. The temple Shikhara, in some literature, is linked to mount Kailash or Meru, the mythical abode of the gods.
In each temple, the central space typically is surrounded by an ambulatory for the pilgrim to walk around and ritually circumambulate the Purusa and the main deity. The pillars, walls and ceilings around the space, as well as outside have highly ornate carvings or images of the four just and necessary pursuits of life - kama, artha, dharma and moksa. This clockwise walk around is called pradakshina.
Larger Khajuraho temples also have pillared halls called mandapa. One near the entrance, on the east side, serves as the waiting room for pilgrims and devotees. The mandapas are also arranged by principles of symmetry, grids and mathematical precision. This use of same underlying architectural principle is common in Hindu temples found all over India. Each Khajuraho temple is distinctly carved yet also repeating the central common principles in almost all Hindu temples, one which Susan Lewandowski refers to as “an organism of repeating cells”.
CONSTRUCTION
The temples are grouped into three geographical divisions: western, eastern and southern.
The Khajuraho temples are made of sandstone, with a granite foundation that is almost concealed from view. The builders didn't use mortar: the stones were put together with mortise and tenon joints and they were held in place by gravity. This form of construction requires very precise joints. The columns and architraves were built with megaliths that weighed up to 20 tons. Some repair work in the 19th Century was done with brick and mortar; however these have aged faster than original materials and darkened with time, thereby seeming out of place.
The Khajuraho and Kalinjar region is home to superior quality of sandstone, which can be precision carved. The surviving sculpture reflect fine details such as strands of hair, manicured nails and intricate jewelry.
While recording the television show Lost Worlds (History Channel) at Khajuraho, Alex Evans recreated a stone sculpture under 4 feet that took about 60 days to carve in an attempt to develop a rough idea how much work must have been involved. Roger Hopkins and Mark Lehner also conducted experiments to quarry limestone which took 12 quarrymen 22 days to quarry about 400 tons of stone. They concluded that these temples would have required hundreds of highly trained sculptors.
CHRONOLOGY
The Khajuraho group of temples belong to Vaishnavism school of Hinduism, Saivism school of Hinduism and Jainism - nearly a third each. Archaeological studies suggest all three types of temples were under construction at about the same time in late 10th century, and in use simultaneously. Will Durant states that this aspect of Khajuraho temples illustrates the tolerance and respect for different religious viewpoints in the Hindu and Jain traditions. In each group of Khajuraho temples, there were major temples surrounded by smaller temples - a grid style that is observed to varying degrees in Hindu temples in Angkor Wat, Parambaran and South India.
The largest surviving Saiva temple is Khandarya Mahadeva, while the largest surviving Vaishnava group includes Chaturbhuja and Ramachandra.
Kandarya Mahadeva temple plan is 109 ft in length by 60 ft, and rises 116 ft above ground and 88 ft above its own floor. The central padas are surrounded by three rows of sculptured figures, with over 870 statues, most being half life size (2.5 to 3 feet). The spire is a self repeating fractal structure.
TEMPLE NAME - DEITY - YEAR COMPLETED
Chausath Yogini - Devi, 64 Yoginis - 885
Brahma - Vishnu - 925
Lalgun Mahadev - Shiva - 900
Matangeshwar - Shiva - 1000
Varaha - Vishnu - 950
Lakshmana - Vaikuntha Vishnu - 939
Parshvanath - Parshvanath - 954
Visvanatha - Shiva - 999
Devi Jagadambi - Devi, Parvati - 1023
Chitragupta - Sun, Chitragupta - 1023
Kandariya Mahadeva - Shiva - 1029
Vamana - Vamana - 1062
Adinath Jain Temple - Rishabha - 1027
Javeri - Vishnu - 1090
Chaturbhuja - Vishnu - 1110
Duladeo (Duladeva) - Shiva - 1125
Ghantai - Jain Tirthankara - 960
Vishnu-Garuda - Vishnu - 1000
Ganesha - Shiva - 1000
Hanuman - Hanuman - 922
Mahishasuramardini - Devi - 995
ARTS AND SCULPTURE
The Khajuraho temples feature a variety of art work, of which 10% is sexual or erotic art outside and inside the temples. Some of the temples that have two layers of walls have small erotic carvings on the outside of the inner wall. Some scholars suggest these to be tantric sexual practices. Other scholars state that the erotic arts are part of Hindu tradition of treating kama as an essential and proper part of human life, and its symbolic or explicit display is common in Hindu temples. James McConnachie, in his history of the Kamasutra, describes the sexual-themed Khajuraho sculptures as "the apogee of erotic art":
"Twisting, broad-hipped and high breasted nymphs display their generously contoured and bejewelled bodies on exquisitely worked exterior wall panels. These fleshy apsaras run riot across the surface of the stone, putting on make-up, washing their hair, playing games, dancing, and endlessly knotting and unknotting their girdles . . Beside the heavenly nymphs are serried ranks of griffins, guardian deities and, most notoriously, extravagantly interlocked maithunas, or lovemaking couples."
The temples have several thousand statues and art works, with Kandarya Mahadeva temple alone decorated with over 870. Some 10% of these iconographic carvings contain sexual themes and various sexual poses. A common misconception is that, since the old structures with carvings in Khajuraho are temples, the carvings depict sex between deities; however the kama arts represent diverse sexual expressions of different human beings. The vast majority of arts depict various aspects the everyday life, mythical stories as well as symbolic display of various secular and spiritual values important in Hindu tradition. For example, depictions show women putting on makeup, musicians making music, potters, farmers, and other folks in their daily life during the medieval era. These scenes are in the outer padas as is typical in Hindu temples.
There is iconographic symbolism embedded in the arts displayed in Khajuraho temples. Core Hindu values are expressed in multitude of ways. Even the Kama scenes, when seen in combination of sculptures that precede and follow, depict the spiritual themes such as moksha. In the words of Stella Kramrisch,
This state which is “like a man and woman in close embrace” is a symbol of moksa, final release or reunion of two principles, the essence (Purusha) and the nature (Prakriti).
— Stella Kramrisch, 1976
The Khajuraho temples represent one expression of many forms of arts that flourished in Rajput kingdoms of India from 8th through 10th century CE. For example, contemporary with Khajuraho were the publications of poems and drama such as Prabodhacandrodaya, Karpuramanjari, Viddhasalabhanjika and Kavyamimansa. Some of the themes expressed in these literary works are carved as sculpture in Khajuraho temples. Some sculptures at the Khajuraho monuments dedicated to Vishnu include the Vyalas, which are hybrid imaginary animals with lions body, and are found in other Indian temples. Some of these hybrid mythical art work include Vrik Vyala (hybrid of wolf and lion) and Gaja Vyala (hybrid of elephant and lion). These Vyalas may represent syncretic, creative combination of powers innate in the two.
TOURISM AND CULTURAL EVENTS
The temples in Khajuraho are broadly divided into three parts : the Eastern group, the Southern Group and the Western group of temples of which the Western group alone has the facility of an Audio guided tour wherein the tourists are guided through the seven eight temples. There is also an audio guided tour developed by the Archaeological Survey of India which includes a narration of the temple history and architecture.
The Khajuraho Dance Festival is held every year in February. It features various classical Indian dances set against the backdrop of the Chitragupta or Vishwanath Temples.
The Khajuraho temple complex offers a light and sound show every evening. The first show is in English language and the second one in Hindi. It is held in the open lawns in the temple complex, and has received mixed reviews.
The Madhya Pradesh Tourism Development has set up kiosks at the Khajuraho railway station, with tourist officers to provide information for Khajuraho visitors.
WIKIPEDIA