Eternal India Encyclopedia

ETERNAL INDIA encyclopedia

A GREAT DESTINATION

Kumbhalgarh : This is on the Aravali Hills, 64 kms from Udaipur. The fort with many temples and palaces was renovated in the last century. Ranakpur : This is the biggest of the 5 Jain pilgrim centres in India. The temple was built in 1439. It has 29 halls supported by 1444 pillars no two of which are alike. Mt. Abu : Rajasthan's only hill station. The main attractions are the 5 temples in Dilwara, 4kms away. The Vimal Vasahi Temple is dedicated to the first Jain Tirthankara, Adinath, the Tejpal Temple to the 22nd Tirthankara Neminath. Jodhpur : Largest city of Rajasthan after Jaipur. The massive Meherangarh Fort is most impressive. Nearby is the Jeswant Thanda, white marble memorial to Maharaj Jaswant Singh II. Mandore near Jodhpur, is a popular local attraction. It has ex- tensive gardens with high rock terraces. Jaisalmer : Located on the edge of the Thar Desert, the camel routes between India and central Asia once passed through Jaisalmer.The houses built of yellow sandstone shine like gold. Oct.-Feb. is the best time for the camel safaris (four days and three nights) which go to Mool Sagar Oasis, the Sam sand dunes and passes through Hindu, Muslim, Rajput and tribal villages. Bikaner : A desert town noted for its large fort (Jungarh) con- structed between 1588 - 1593, and made of red and yellow sand- stone. Karni Mata temple : At Deshnok on the Jodhpur Road, 33km from Bikaner. Dedicated to the mystic Kami Mata. Here rats are fed and cared for because they may one day be reborn as mystics or holy men. Formerly protectorate of Britain, India inherited this position in 1947 . Sikkim became the 22nd state of India in 1975. The capital of the Himalayan state is Gangtok. It has the Research Institute of Ti- betology, the world's third largest collection of Tibetan manuscripts. The Orchid Farm has 200 different species.of orchids. Sikkim's charm lies in its spectacular mountain scenery, varied flora and fauna and ancient Buddhist monasteries of which there are 140 in the state. Sikkim is to the north of the Darjeeling district of West Bengal. On its north is the Himalayan peak of Kanchenjunga and Tibet, on the east Tibet and Bhutan, and on the west Nepal. The river Teesta flows through Sikkim. It is surrounded on all sides by places of scenic beauty. It is a trekker's paradise. Trek from Gangtok to Pemayangtse via Rumtek. Then on to Yaksum, Bakkhim and Dzongri. Dzongri is 3962m in height. You can also ride a yak to Dzongri. Rhododen- drons of many varieties bloom by the roadside. There are other treks also. Pemayangtse, 137 kms from Gangtok, is famous for its Bud- dhist monastery. There is no air or rail link to Gangtok. You can get there by bus via Darjeeling or Kalimpong or from Sijiguri (West Bengal). For- eigners need permits for Sikkim. SIKKIM

TAMIL NADU

Madras, the fourth largest city in India, is the capital of the State of Tamil Nadu. It was here that the East India Company got its first foothold on the east coast in 1639, 27 years after it had es- tablished a factory at Surat, north of Bombay. Fort St. George was built between 1639 - 1653 on land given by the Raja of Chan- dragiri. The fort museum contains interesting relics. The St. Mary's church built in 1678-80 is the first Protestant church in India. The Marina Beach (13kms) is the second largest in the world. Situated on the road along the Marina are the Senate House in Indo-Saracenic style, the Moorish style Chepauk palace, and the Ice House which was used to store blocks of ice during the Raj era. The Annadurai Memorial is a recent addition. San Thome Cathedral : This Roman Catholic church originally built in 1504 was rebuilt in 1893. St. Thomas, one of the 12 apostles who survived Christ is buried here, He came to India in 52 AD and was martyred at St. Thomas Mount near Madras. The Kapaleshwara Temple in South Madras has a typical Dravid- iangopuram. The Parthasarathi temple in Triplicane was built in the 8th century by the Pallavas. The Deer Park at Guindy, 8kms from Madras, has many species of deer in their natural habitat. The Snake park at Guindy was developed by the American Romu- lus Whittaker and has over 500 snakes. The Theosophical Society in the south of Madras was established in 1891. The ground has a large banyan tree, the second biggest in India. Rukmani Arundale's Kalakshetra, the school of dance and the arts, is beside the society. AROUND MADRAS Kanchipuram : Once the capital city of.the Pallavas, it is sacred to both Shiva and Vishnu and one of the 7 holy cities of India (the others being Hardwar, Ujjaini, Varanasi, Mathura, Ayodhya and Dwarka). It has 200 temples and is the Varanasi of the south. The Kailashnath Temple is the oldest in South India. . Tirukkalu Kundram : At the hill top temple here every day just before noon two white kites appear and are fed by the priest. Mahabalipuram : 45 kms to the south of Madras. The port city of the Pallavas. The 7th century shore temple is the only one of three now surviving. The five Rathas are prototypes of Dravidian temples, carved out of a single block of stone with a huge stone elephant in the middle. The penance of Bhagiratha and the pen- ance of Arjuna are two frescoes in bas-relief. Crocodile farm near Mahabalipuram on road to Madras is ex- cellent for breeding crocodiles. Vedanthangal: A major bird sanctuary, 80 kms from Madras. Has a heavy concentration of waterfowl in an area of 80 hectares. Tiruvannamalai : The ashram is associated with the memory of Ramana Maharishi whose tomb is here.