People whether yearning for divinity, hungering for knowledge, desiring happiness or having a thirst to find their inner selves, find what they need in these cities. Many people leave their homelands and settle in these hallowed cities, as they find ordinary longings pale before the ache for contentment.

Mathura

Mathura is known as the place of birth of Lord Krishna. It is located on the banks on River Yamuna. It has a rich past and is rooted in spirituality. There are many fairs and festivals, “Melas” held here through out the year.

Kanchipuram

Kanchipuram is located on the north-eastern coast of Tamil Nadu, South India. Renowned worldwide as home to virtuoso craftsmen who create exquisite silk saris, Kanchipuram is also known for its numerous significant temples. The city is known to have more than a thousand temples. The temples uphold the architectural traditions of South India. Kanchipuram has a glorious heritage and a strong tradition in art, culture and spirituality.

Ayodhya

Ayodhya is an ancient city located on the banks of the river Saryu in the Faizabad region in Uttar Pradesh, India. It is famous as the birthplace of Lord Ram, and is also known as “Ran Janm Bhumi”.

Varanasi / Kashi

One of the most ancient cities in the world, Varanasi or Kashi, is known as the city of Lord Shiva, he of creation and destruction. It is believed that if your death takes place here, you will finally be free from the cycle of rebirth, and achieve heaven. Situated on the banks of the sacred River Ganga, and bathing in the River Ganga is supposed to cleanse one of all their sins. The Kashi Vishwanath temple is the main temple here.

Haridwar

Haridwar literally means Gateway of God, and is a very important place and another ancient living city. This is the starting point for the holy River Ganga, which exists from the mountains, and begins its exodus to the Bay of Bengal. Various important Hindu rituals are performed on the banks of Ganga like, Dah sanskar, Asthi Visarjan, Mundan, Pitra Daan and so on.

Pushkar Lake

The most popular attraction in Pushkar is the Pushkar Lake, which Hindus believe, is one of the purest lakes in Rajasthan. It’s a gorgeous semi-circular water-setting with over 52 abutting ghats. Most hindus believe, dipping into the holy water of Pushkar brings salvation to all devotees.

Brahma Temple

According to Hindu mythology, Lord Brahma is the creator of this universe, and this is the only temple in the country dedicated to the creator. This temple is known around the country for it’s remarkable marble carvings and the four-headed Brahma idol. The shades used to embellish the idol too are worth seeing.

Savitri Temple

This temple is dedicated to the first wife of Lord Brahma, goddess Savitri. This is also one of the most important and holiest temples in Pushkar. The location is ideal for visitors who seek praying in silence, over the hilltop with a panoramic view of Pushkar Lake beneath.

Ranganatha Temple

More than anything, this shrine is popular for it’s outstanding south-Indian architectural design. The elegant stairs and high rising pillars with golden birds studded in it is truly a marvelous sight to look at.

Varah Temple

Dedicated to Lord Shiva, Varah temple is among the most visited temples in Pushkar. The image of Lord Vishnu is simply magnificent as the lord is in incarnation of an untamed boar. According to Hindu mythology, Lord Vishnu came to earth in this incarnation to destroy the dreadful demon named ‘Hirnayaksh’,

Apteshwar Temple

Apteshwar Temple in Pushkar is dedicated to lord Shiva. Built in 12th Century, this temple is the oldest temple in Pushkar. However, the edifice is yet intact and people come from various corners of the country to worship Lord Shiva.

The sun temple is located at Konark in Orissa. It is also known as the black Pagoda. This monumental structure is from the thirteenth century. It was constructed by King Narasimhadeva of the Eastern Ganga dynasty.

The Konark temple was created from weathered and oxidizing sandstone. It is credited as a World Heritage Site and is one of the most well renowned temples in India. It is also listed as one of the seven wonders of India.

Design and Architecture:

The structure is intricately decorated with stone carving. The temple is in the form of the chariot of the Surya. Surya or Arka is the sun god. The complete complex of temples was formed in the design of a huge chariot on twelve pairs of beautifully decorated wheels which is being pulled by seven glorious horses.

The entrance to the temple is protected by two huge ion structures.  These lions are depicted crushing a war elephant. The elephants are lying on top of a human being. The temple successfully shows the majestic stride of Surya, the sun god. Nata Mandir is at the beginning of the temple. At the Nata Mandir temple dancers used to perform dances to pay homage to the sun god, Surya. The temple is designed with geometric and floral patterns. A part of the temple now lies in ruins. The museum of the sun temple stores the sculptures from the ruins.

Kalapahad:

Kalapahad was the general of Bengal Sultan Sulaiman Karann. The fall of the Konark temple is said to have some connection with Kalapahad. According to some stories Kalapahad was a Hindu kayasth officer who later converted to Islam.

The History of Orissa suggests Kalapahad in 1508 invaded Orissa. And he destroyed the sun temple and many other temples in Orissa. Even stone walls of 25 feet tall could not deter him; he managed to disturb the arch stone and caused the tower to fall. He also destroyed many images inscribed on the walls and other temples made to honor the sun god.

Carvings:

The temple is famed for its erotic depictions through sculptures and designs. Such sculptures are found on the second level of the porch structure. The Konark temple belongs to the Kalinga School of temples. It is characterized by cupolas and curvilinear towers. The temple is aligned to the east-west direction.

Natural surroundings are present all around the temple complex. Sandy soil holds the many rosewood, eel, and mahogany and casuarinas plantations around the temples. These temples are the pride of Indian and depict the culture and rich diversity of ancient India.

This place is located 67 km from Chitoor in Tirupati, which is a district in the southern tip of Andhra Pradesh. The temple is said to be located on a hill in Tirumala. This is a conglomeration of seven hills which are known as “Seshachalam and Venkatachalam” which are 853m above the sea level.

About the Temple

This temple is known for its “vibrant and colorful culture which also speaks volumes about its grand past.

Pilgrims have to climb the hill before they get onto the worshipping place, and this is not an easy task. It is believed that those who have immense faith and trust in God have only been able to make their way without any assistance and problem to the “doors of the temple”.

This temple is known to be the richest temple in the world. It is believed that “people drop bags of diamonds at the feet of Sri Venkataswara (the temple of Tirupati). Devotees from far and wide come to worship here.

The architecture of the temple

The temple reflects the ancient Dravidian style of architecture. The main highlight of the temple is the “Gopuram”. The Vimana or the Cupola which is also known as the “Ananda Nilayam” is placed over the “sanctum sanctorum”. This is completely veiled with a gold plate.

The temple has three “Prakarams” which means enclosures. Among these the most important one is the “Dhvajastambha” which is the banner post.

The idol which is worshipped here is a representation of both “Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva”. In Hindu mythology, Lord Vishnu is considered to be the preserver of the universe, while Lord Shiva is believed to be the destroyer.

What happens in the Temple

A normal day at the temple begins with the “Suprabhatam” which means the “awakening of the Lord”. This happens as early as possible in the morning. Next, the day ends at the temple with the “Ekanta Seva”, which is putting the Lord off to sleep. This happens around 1 ‘o’ clock at night.

Devotees offer their prayers on a daily, weekly and peroidically whereas the priests offer their daily prayers and chants the entire day long. The prayers take place in the form of “Sevas” and “Utsavams” to the Lord. Devotees pay homage to the Lord by donating small amounts on their name in the same. These gifts and donations which are offered to the “deities” is called as “Hundis”. These are the main source of income for the temple.

Festivals held in the temple

The temple celebrates many festivals but the prime one is the annual festival which is known as the “Brahmotsavam”. This is a very important festival and is celebrated with much enthusiasm for almost nine days in the month of September. The much known “Garudostavam and Rathotavam” festivals are held on the fifth and the sixth day of the festival. This festival attracts tourists from all around the country.

How to reach the temple

You can take a flight from Hyderabad, Chennai or Bangalore to Renigunta which is 15 km away from the temple. From there you can hire a cab, take a bus or an auto rickshaw and reach the temple.

The place is also connected through rail. The nearest station is the Tirupati station. Train services are available from Hubli, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolhapur, Mumbai, Puri, Tiruchappali, Vijaywada and Varanasi.

The temple is also well connected by road. You can hire a cab or take a bus from Hyderabad which is 617 km, Bangalore which is 248 km, Chennai which is 151 km, Vijaywada which is 380 km, and Lepakshi which is 379 km away.

The place does not only serve the purpose of being religious, but it also eases your mind, since it is located along the seashore. The temple is located near the hills and contains idols of idols of Lord Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahaheshwara. These temples were constructed somewhere around the 16th century. Other than that, it also has the idol of Goddess Parvati there.

Very rare, do you get a place like this, which has pristine clear beaches, silent woods, and virgin seashores. The place has some good resorts and hotels.

There are some great places to stay in Harihareshwar. One can go for trekking or hiking and this can be arranged for them through the hotel.

The Temple

The temples are all located on the seashore. The temple is a ten minutes walk from the beach. The temple of Harihareshwar is referred to as the “DevGhar” or the house of the Gods. The sacred river of Savitri enters the sea from the town of Harihareshwar.

Accommodation

The MTDC resort in Harihareshwar is the most popular one. It is a government managed resort in the area and is reasonable for people, who would like to spend a weekend, without paying too much for it. The resort is beautiful and spread over four acres of land, which is surrounded by hills and the beach from all sides. There are AC and non AC rooms and all kinds of amenities are available for the guest.

Things to do

You can go to the beach and leisure away your time there and also visit the Harihareshwar temple. For those of you who’d like to take a step beyond the usual, there are options available for you to get your hands on some delicious home-cooked food. The advantages herein would be – yummy food, easy on the pocket and an authentic taste of the local cuisine.

People in India blindly believe their deity and knows that their wishes will definitely going to fulfill in future. So if you are among the one then do not miss to pay your visit and worship the god whole-heartedly. This temple welcomes plenty of people every year who throng to explore its beauty that is set atop the hill. Climbing to the top of the temple without any hesitation will of course, make your wishes come true. Jainism is the philosophy native to India and was founded by the sage Mahavira during the 6th century BC. Mahavira was born during 599 BC and was started the life of an austere at the age of 28. He attained the enlightenment after finishing years and years of meditation. Well, meditation was the part of his life that he practiced as the first priority throughout his life span. After attaining the enlightenment, Mahavira taught his powerful meditation until his last breath. He died during the 527 BC.

Jainism on the other hand, is not to rely or support the belief in a creator god, but they blindly follow some of the rule that must not hurt other living creatures. They follow the doctrine of Ahimsa or the non-injury to each and every living beings in the world. With this, the religion becomes a perfection of human nature that have to be achieved mainly by every individual who belongs to Jain community by their monastic as well as ascetic life. In fact, as per the Jain beliefs, their faith is never-ending that has been discovered through the succeeding ages of the world by 24 Tirthankaras.

The word Tirthankara is actually a title that was given to the enlightened sages of the Jainism, which means ford maker. It specifies a human being or a deity who brings together the ordinary as well as spiritual worlds and can also help the human beings in the same comprehension. Same as the Avatars of Hinduism, this word that is Tirthankaras teach and motivate the humankind and at the same time makes them to protect the world from any kind of demonic forces. Alike the Hindu Avatars, the Jain Tirthankaras also have specific holy places everywhere on the earth as per their birth, attainment of enlightenment, as well as great miracles.

Such places in the world are called as Siddha-Kshetra, where the Tirhankaras and other sacred persons have achieved the Nirvana. The main Siddha-kshetras are actually the Shatrunjaya’s 5-sacred mountains that are located in Gujarat. The mountains are Girnar that could be found in Saurashtra; Sametshikhara, which is in eastern Bihar; Mount Abu, which is in Rajasthan; and Astapada that is considered as a mythical mountain located at the center of the universe. Flourishing the beauty of Palitana, the mountain rises to 2000 feet above this town. This circular peak is dotted with a complex of 863 beautiful temples. In fact, some of the temples at the site are very old dating from 11th century and most of the structures are dated from some 1500’s after the Muslim invaders who then destroyed the former shrines. You will be fascinated by watching hundreds of elegantly sculpted marble statues inside the ornately fashioned temples. The statues are of 24 Tirthankaras that are simply the supreme object of Jain reverence. One can even enjoy the great pilgrimage festival during the full moon of every Karttika that held in the months of October through November. The entire Shatrunjaya blooms with lights and beauty, making people to feel like spending time in heaven.

Pilgrims from all over the country throngs to this religious destination just to be a part of the celebration that includes processions – carrying big pictures of the holy mountain from the streets of the famous Palitana.

The Pemayangtse Monastery is the epicenter of the monastic network of Sikkim that contains the Dzongri, Sangachoeling and Tashiding monasteries. Pemauangtse is actually a small town that offers among the oldest monasteries of Sikkim. This town can be considered as a center of religious Buddhist activities in Sikkim, which is in India. This site gets the majority of attention through its origin as well as due to the religious significance. Considering the height of this monastery, it shows its influence through the 2085 metres height.

This monastery is positioned at 6 kilometres from the Geyzing, which is the headquarters of the West Sikkim District. You can easily reach at this beautiful spot by taking a regular bus or by hiring a private taxi from Geyzing. The Pemayangtse Monastery was constructed by Lhatsun Chempo in the year 1705. Lhatsun Chempo is one of the Lamas who executed the consecration ceremony of the 1st Chogyal. This monastery was built for ta-sang lamas, the purest of all the monks. All the religious activities of the monarchs held at this site, making the monastery a leading one. It is made out of wood and the edifice of this monastery seems like divine along with the Mt. Kanschenjunga because it is surrounded by the spectacular landscape.

Due to the exotic surrounding, one can enjoy even more spiritual ambiance of the site. Earlier, the monastery was only meant for the Pure Monks. However, in the end, all the classes of monks got equal rights to enter the monastery. Being a focal point of the Nyingamapa sect, which is a Tantrik sect of Buddhists, the monastery offers amazing history as well as experiences to explore. The followers of such sect could be found sporting in red caps and the usual followers could be found wearing the yellow caps in other monasteries. When the Chador Namgyal, which was the third Chogyal was in power, this current monastery was constructed by Lama Jigme Pawo. The ultimate meaning of Pemayangtse is a perfect Sublime Lotus and the place is actually the one.

The monastery from inside is beautifully decorated and the walls of it could be found adorned with the traditional frescoes that represents a variety of themes of the Tantrik Buddhism. The Pemayangtse Monastery encircles a rare collection of ancient Buddhist antique idols, scriptures, carvings, as well as sculptures. The major emphasizes of this monastery is made by the illustration of Sangthipalri or the Heaven, which is creatively sculpted on the wood. The sculpted work was done by Dungzin Rimpoche himself, making the monastery a legendary site ever made.

You will be lucky to enjoy the Chaam at the Pemayangtse Monastery, which is actually a Mask Dance that is organized every year. This draws many people from all over Sikkim, where people gather and make some memorable time for the lifetime.

Well, no doubt, India is a religious country where many different temples and holy sites could be found. Exploring the old and amazing architectural temple has become my target this time for which I went to the state of Rajasthan in India. Rajasthan has many great temples that are worth exploring. There is a reason behind visiting Rajasthan. After my visit to Mumbai, a famous city of India, I heard from one person that there is a rat temple located in the state of Rajasthan. This put my mind into huge debate and queries – why rat temple?

In India, you will get many temples that are made for its kind of speciality as the one I explored in Rajasthan – Karni Mata Temple aka The Rat Temple of Rajasthan. Bikaner is famous for the camel safaris and its stunning fort in Rajasthan, but the one, which is truly unique is the temple located in the town of Deshnok. The temple finally won to attract us to its area and to explore its amazingly beautiful features covered with history. I was along with my group of friends, who wanted to explore the same as me with full enthusiasm.

Perhaps the Karni Mata Temple is among the strangest attractions of India, which has a unique feature. At the temple, you will be amazed to see thousands of rats roaming here and there. The temple is a major attraction of Bikaner where rats and pilgrims make regular trips to the town. Moving back to the history of the temple and its idol, you should take a guided tour that will give you complete information and history in detail. The idol inside the temple is of Karni Mata and so the name of the temple. Karni Mata was a Hindu born female who is believed to be the incarnation of the Durga goddess.

People blindly believe and worship the Karni Mata. She laid the foundation stone of two significant forts in Rajputana. Until the last breath of her life, she lived an austere life and the temples were the examples of her existence with power. The temples were devoted to Karni Mata and her lifetime, out of which the most renowned is the temple of Deshnoke. The temple was built as per the inexplicable disappearance of Karni Mata from her home. The temple is more famous because of the rats that are treated as sacred and are given complete protection.

The Karni Mata temple, which is located in Deshnoke lies at a distance of 30 kilometres from Bikaner. The temple is still in its original form that was completed building during the early 20th century. The architecture of the temple is of Mughal style and was made by Maharaja Ganga Singh of Bikaner. After his period, the temple was further improved by the Hyderabad based Karni Jewellers named Kundanlal Verma in the year 1999. The superb and giant silver gates of the temple and the marble carvings are offered as donation from Kundanlal Verma.

The karni Mata Temple or the Rat Temple of Rajasthan is so popular that tourists from every corner of India come to visit and explore its uniqueness. Apart from the state of Rajasthan, Karni Mata is respected in other places like Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Haryana. During the occasion of Navratri, thousands of people visit the temple on bare foot and many with bare foot. What is more amazing is that if a single rat is killed then it should be replaced with the other made up of solid gold. Well, if you see a white rat among the groups of black rats then it is considered as specially fortunate.

Listening and exploring with the guided tour was really fascinating and great. I am looking forward to explore some more amazing temples in India and get captivated. The Karni Mata temple and thousands of rats will be always remembered.

Dakshineswar kali temple is the Hindu temple of goddess Kali, which was built by the wealthy widow Rani Rasmani between the years 1847 and 1855. She built this temple because of the dream she had about goddess kali. The temple took care by the head priest whose responsibilities were handed over to his younger brother named Ramakrishna after his dead. The day when Ramakrishna started his service in the shrine, he was filled with an unusual form of love of God, which in Hinduism is known as maha-bhava.

Ramakrishna fall in love for the deity so much that he completely forgotten the outside world. Each and every moment he sat in front of the deity, fall on to the ground, engrossed in the spiritual trances, lost all other consciousness, and simply go on crying and recalling the goddess’ name as ‘Ma’ that is Mother. He was frequently getting into God-intoxication and so was relieved from the duties of temple priest. Still, he was allowed to live in the temple compound. There is a huge history of the relationship of Goddess Kali and Ramakrishna. The Kali Temple of Dakshineswar was very much famous for the spiritual vision of Ramakrishna.

The 12-spired temple has a large courtyard, which is enclosed by 12 other temples, devoted entirely to Lord Shiva. There is a belief that Ramakrishna had a vision of other forms of gods and goddess like Shiva, Radha-Krishna, kali, Sita-Rama, Mahammed, and Christ in his dream. His practice was just to convey the strong devotion to each deity, so they could manifest physically in front of him. It is something strange when people listen to the history of the temple and the life of Ramakrishna, but they salute to that innocent priest who lived and sacrificed his entire life in search of his mother goddess Kali. People blindly believe that goddess Kali live in this temple and fulfill everyone’s wishes.

Tourists from India as well as from the outside country visit to this temple with a deep, hearty wishes and beliefs. Exploring the Kali temple of Dakshineswar is a great experience that is unique in its form. This Bengal architectural structure has something that makes everyone curious to know more about the past happenings of the temple and the life. The temple was built in the traditional Nava-ratna style that is the nine spires style of the Bengal architecture. It is a three storeyed temple facing towards the southern direction. Standing high on a platform with stairs, the temple covers an area of 46 feet with an elevation of more than 100 feet.

The temple has garbha griha, which is known as sanctum santorum and houses the goddess Kali’s idol. This god is recognized as  Bhavataraini. Goddess Kali stands on the chest of Lord Shiva who lies down. The idol are placed on a silver adorned thousand petaled lotus. The temple apart from 12 shrines of Shiva includes Kali’s companion, along the riverfront, one temple of Radha-Krishna, one bathing ghat on the river, one bookshop, and a shrine to Rani Rashmoni. There is a chamber right in the northwest side corner situated just ahead of the last Shiva temple out of other 11 shrines. It is the place where Ramakrishna had spent a substantial part of his life. Visitors die to see the location where Ramakrishna lived and the surrounding areas of the temple.

He died in the year 1886, which is at the age of 50, but his life, spiritual practices, and the temple of Kali continued to draw pilgrims from every corner of India and the world. The ecstatic trances occurred was the major draw that people love to explore and listen. Well, many people believe that Kali, Ramakrishna and his wife Sarada Devi still living at the religious destination that is the Kali temple of Dakshineswar.

The state of Tamil Nadu in India boasts amazing and breathtaking temples that dates back from the ancient civilization. Well, it also boasts a temple that is famous in the state as well as in the country. The name of this temple is Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple that could be found in Srirangam, Tamil Nadu. It is a Hindu temple that is dedicated to the Lord Ranganatha, who is considered a form of Lord Vishnu. Normally, the temple is renowned as the Vishnu temple of Srirangam. Exactly, the temple lies in the city of Tiruchirappali and is situated on a small island that could be found between the branches of two rivers. The temple structure is too high and could be said as gigantic.

The Vishnu temple of Srirangam is the largest temple complex in the entire India, which is bounded by 7 concentric walls and 21 towers. The towers are called as Gopurams. Out of all the 108 pilgrimage shrines of Vishnu, this temple is the largest in the country. The temple is the home of Lord Vishnu and its idol is known as Sri Ranganatha that has been transported by the Sage Vibhisana from India to Sri Lanka. It has been stated that the statue was magically bounded to the earth and more than hundred hands was unable to move the idol from the ground. Hence, a small temple was constructed over the same idol.

Apart from what the legends have said, the temple complex from then has been rebuilt and enlarged several times that is more than thousands of years to raise its beauty and importance. Originally, no one knows the exact date of the formation of the temple. Most of the complex’s of the temple is still could be found standing on the site that includes a grand hall of 1000 wonderfully sculptured pillars that was built between 14th and 17th centuries. Exploring such spectacular sites is the dream of many people. So if you have the same dream to visit and explore the ancient structures then make it happen on your next trip or vacation.

One of the pillars, which are named as Naanmugan Gopuram has an elevation of thirteen stories and is covered with intricately and amazingly carved, brightly painted statues of many different incarnations of Lord Vishnu. Well, the temple structure is a creation of extraordinary expression of art and the sculptures carved on the outer walls of the temple function as 3-dimentional storybooks of Hindu mythology.