Eternal India Encyclopedia

ETERNAL INDIA encyclopedia

A GREAT DESTINATION

The interesting monuments of the city are the Ran hires war temple, Raghunath temple of Raghunath Bazar and the Raghunath temple of Purani Mandi, Ranbir Canal, and Bahu fort. Ranbi'reswar temple : Built in 1883, this shrine for Lord Shiva, apart from the main symbol of Shiva, has twelve crystal symbols and thousands more fixed on stone slabs. Raghunath temple : Amidst a group of smaller temples conse- crated to different Gods and Goddesses connected with the Ramayana, in the very heart of the city stands this shrine of Rama. The inner walls of the main temple are covered with gold. Here are galleries with lakhs of Saligrams — the rare sacred black stones. Also a Rama temple, this shrine depicts scenes from the lives of Rama and Krishna through paintings. Bahu fort : After enjoying a view of the Ranbir Canal, you can visit Bahu Fort on a rock-face on the left bank of the river Tawi. The original fort is said to have been built by King Bahulochan of a remote past. The present fort was the work of later Dogra rulers. Inside is a temple dedicated to Goddess Kali. Vaishno Devi : 62 km away from Jammu this ancient cave shrine is situated in a recess of the Trikuta Hill. The Trikuta Bhagwati, popularly known as Vaishno Devi, draws lakhs of visitors round the year. The cave, at an elevation of 5,300 feet, has three images of the Devi, representing her creative, preserving and destroying as- pects. Buses run regularly to a small town, Katra, 48 km from Jammu. The remaining distance has to be covered on foot or by pony. Batote : At an altitude of 1,560 metres, this health-resort 113km away on the Jammu-Srinagar highway can be reached by bus. A tourist bungalow is available. Sudh Mahadev : At a height of 1,225m. and at a distance of 120km from Jammu, this summer resort has a lovely spring. Ramnagar : 102km away, this place is famous for murals in the Pahari style. Buses are available from Jammu. Shiva Khori : 88km away, this is a shrine for Lord Shiva. One can go by bus up to Bara (80km) The remaining 8km has to be covered on foot. PICNIC SPOTS There are excellent picnic spots nearby. They are Swinsar Lake (42km), Mansar Lake (80km), Paramandal (39km), Patnitop at an altitude of 2,024 metres (112km) and Sansar at an altitude of 2,079 metres (129km). There are rest houses at all places. Visitors can contact the Government Tourist Officer before proceeding to any of these resorts. Leh : The headquarters of India's largest district, Ladakh, with the smallest population was first opened to tourists in 1974. This area of mysterious mountains, and fearful gorges, was not always cut off from the world. Leh, for centuries, was an im- portant commercial junction linking Central Asia with Kashmir, and the Kulu Valley of Himachal Pradesh with Tibet and China. In this land of the Lamas there are many monasteries called Gomphas where the Buddhist deities are worshippped. The near- est to the town is Shankar Gompha, 3 km away containing many golden images and a collection of rare pictures. The famous Gomphas, numbering 12, are scattered around the town. Hemis

Gompha is the largest of them all, 49km. from Leh, with several golden images and a stupa adorned with most valuable metals. The famous Hemis festival is held in the second half of June or early July every year. It features mask dances. It draws crowds of spectators. A legend says that Christ spent some years as a boy here. Among the other Gomphas are Thikse and Shye, both on the way to Hemis Gompha. A drive to Leh by bus from Srinagar (434km) is an unforgettable experience. Tourists must contact the Government Tourist office at Srinagar before embarking on their journey into Ladakh. Being a frontier territory, it prescribes some discipline for the visitor. One ought to carry enough warm clothes, lotions and creams against sun-burn, dry food, and primary medicines. Many tourists carry tents. Buses carrying passengers from Srinagar leave in the morning and halt for the night at Kargil. These reach Leh the next day, in the afternoon. The state of Karnataka, formerly known as Mysore, is a state of strong contrasts, with the modern, industrialised city of Banga- lore at one extreme and the forest - lined Western Ghats on the other; the orange groves of Coorg and the ancient sculptured temples at Belur, Halebid and Aihole. Bangalore : Situated at an altitude of 921 m above sea-level, Bangalore, the capital of Karnataka, is a graceful city with charm- ing gardens, parks, well-designed houses and salubrious climate. It is now the fifth largest urban agglomeration of India with a population of48,23,951. Though a modern, bustling city and an i m- portant industrial centre, Bangalore remains one of India's pleas- antest cities. The central area is studded with beautifully-laid-out parks and gardens. Bangalore's important industries include ma- chine tools, aircrafts, electronics and computers. The city was founded by Kempe Gowda in the 16th century. Vidhana Soudha : This is one of Bangalore's — and indeed one of India's — most spectacular buildings. Built of granite in the neo- Dravidian style of architecture and located at the northern end of Cubbon Park, it houses both the Secretariat and the State Legis- lature. The cabinet room is famous for its massive door made of pure sandalwood. Cubbon Park & the Museums : One of the main 'lungs' of the city, this beautiful shady park, full of flowering trees, covers an area of 120 hectares and was laid out in 1864. In it are the red Gothic buildings which houses the Public Library, the High Court, the Government Museum and the Technological and Industrial Mu- seum. The Government Museum, one of the oldest in India, was es- tablished in 1886 and houses sections on geology, art, numismat- ics and relics from Mohenjodaro. The Visvesvaraya Technological & Industrial Museum, also on Kasturba road, adjacent to the Government Museum is dedicated to the memory of M. Visvesvaraya, the architect of modern