Tag: Temple

“The traveler has to knock at every alien door to come to his own, and one has to wander through all the outer worlds to reach the innermost shrine at the end.”

Culture/India/Travel

Shree Siddhivinayak Ganapati Mandir

Indrajit RoyChoudhury 9 Comments

In Hindu mythology, Lord Ganesha is the God of wisdom, prosperity and good fortune. Ganesh Chaturthi is one of the most widely celebrated festivals of the country. The history of Shree Siddhi Vinayak Temple goes back to 1801 when a childless woman named Deubai Patil funded the temple so that the Lord may grant children to other childless women. Laxman Vithu Patil was the man behind the construction of the initial temple. The magnificent temple of Shree Siddhivinayak is definitely worth a visit whether you are looking to seek the holy blessings of Lord Ganesha and to soak into the spirit of holiness.

History/Iraq/Travel

Ancient Temple of Ninmakh

Indrajit RoyChoudhury 12 Comments

Located in the fabled ancient city of Babylon, adjacent to the Processional Way and the iconic Ishtar Gate, the Ninmakh Temple was rebuilt several times during the reigns of Esarhaddon, Assurbanipal, and Nebuchadnezzar in the sixth century BCE. Ninmakh is the Sumerian Mother Goddess and one of the oldest and most important in the Mesopotamian Pantheon. She is principally a fertility goddess. Ninmakh subsumed the characteristics of similar deities like Ki (earth) and others, and was later herself subsumed by the fertility goddess Inanna/Ishtar.

Culture/India/Travel

Mukteshvara Temple

Judhajit Roychoudhury 8 Comments

Mukteshvara means “Lord of Freedom”. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. Located in the capital city Bhubaneswar, the Mukteshvara Temple is a regal monument that dates back to the 9th-10th century CE. Mukteswar temple is literally a dream realized in sandstone. The temple is said to be the structure, where sculpture and architecture are in synchronization with one another. The Mukteshvara Temple is the finest example of a perfect blend between sculpting and architecture.

Culture/India/Travel

Itkhori: A Place of Religious Tolerance

Indrajit RoyChoudhury 13 Comments

Itkhori in Chatra district of Jharkhand state of India is situated at around 150 km from Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand, at the confluence of two rivers named ‘Mahane' and 'Baksa'. Bhadrakali temple complex is a symbol of religious tolerance for centuries. It is a wonderful place with abundance of historic reminiscences and archaeological remnants demonstrating a breath-taking saga of religious tolerance and cultural unity.

Deori Mandir, Ranchi-Tata Highway (NH33), Jharkhand, India
Culture/History/India/Travel

Solahbhuji Durga Temple, Deori

Indrajit RoyChoudhury 13 Comments

An ancient solahbhuji (sixteen-armed) Durga temple at village Deori, near Tamar, around 60 km from Ranchi, on the Jamshedpur-Ranchi Highway (NH-33). The original temple is made up of big stone placed one over another without using any cementing material in between, like many ancient constructions. According to some local beliefs, this Solah Bhuja Devi Prachin Durga Mandir is in existence since the Mahabharata times.

Culture/History/India/Travel

Ujjain: The Temple City

Judhajit Roychoudhury 6 Comments

An ancient city situated on the eastern bank of the Kshipra River, Ujjain was the most prominent city on the Malwa plateau of central India for much of its history. It emerged as the political centre of central India around 600 BCE. It was the capital of the ancient Avanti kingdom, one of the sixteen mahajanapadas. It is an important place of pilgrimage for Shaivites, Vaishnavites and followers of Shakta. It is a known Hindu pilgrimage centre with the Kumbh Mela held here every 12 years.

Culture/India/Travel

Omkareshwar: Blessed by Gods, adorned by nature

Judhajit Roychoudhury 10 Comments

It can only be termed as a blessing, by Lords and mother nature, that Omkareshwar, the sacred island called Mandhata or Shivapuri in the Narmada river, is shaped like ॐ (Om) - the holiest symbol of Hinduism. Not surprising then that this serene town is also one of the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines in India. Pilgrims in unimaginable numbers visit the shrine every year, seeking the blessings of Lord Shiva.

Culture/India/Travel

Maihar: Where the Mother’s necklace fell

Judhajit Roychoudhury 13 Comments

Established by the Rajputs in the 18th century and a princely state of the British Rule in the 19th century, Maihar is a city in Madhya Pradesh. It is best known for the famous temple of Maa Sharda Devi (ca. 502 CE), situated on the top of the Trikoota Hills, which can be reached after climbing 1,063 steps. The name of city means ‘mother’s necklace’, and it got this name because, as per Hindu mythology, Lord Shiva was carrying his mother’s body when her necklace fell off. The place where it fell was in this city, which is why it is called Maihar. The city is a prominent place for the Indian classical music. It was originally the birthplace of the Maihar Gharana, a type of Hindustan music.