21. Dakor
Dakor is a city and a Nagarpalika
in Kheda district
in the state of Gujarat,
India.
It is prominent for its grand temple
of Shree Ranchhodraiji.
History
This story is as told by the people there in 1957. BODANA, a Krishna devotee used to walk all the way from Dakor to distant Dwaraka, on every full moon night. As BODANA aged, it became harder for him to go to Dwaraka. Lord Krishna then told him that he need not walk all the way to Dwaraka as he had decided to accompany him and stay with him in Dakor.[citation needed]So, some devotees started moving the idol of Lord Krishna. The local people objected to this and fought with the devotees. God told the devotees to throw his idol into the water. The local people searched for the idol by poking sticks into the water, but they were not able to find it. When the devotees removed the idol of Lord Krishna, wounds were seen all over the idol. These wounds were attributed as due to the sticks.
The local people then asked the devotees for gold equal to the weight of the idol. The only gold that the devotee had was his wife's nose ring. However, when the nose ring and the idol were weighed, they were found to be equal in weight. It is believed that Lord Krishna tilted the scales in favour of the nose ring, so that the local people could get only a very small quantity of gold. This idol of Lord Krishna was then installed at Dakor. This shows how Lord Krishna changed his residence for the convenience of his devotees.
Recently, Dakor is included in one of the six major pilgrimage places under "Yatradham Vikas Board" by Government of Gujart for development as a well-planned and well organised pilgrimage place to facilitate the lacs and lacs of visiting pilgrims. More than 70-80 lacs pilgrims visit the place every year and a continuous increase is witnessed every year. On "Fagun Purnima" celebration the town gets ready with all the means to welcome and serve 10-15 lac pilgrims. The sentiments and emotions of devotees during these celebration is unimaginable.
Nilay Shah
Festival
On full moon days, people visit the temple to seek the blessings as was done by the devotee who brought Shree Krishna to the temple. So there is a great inflow of people and the town is very crowded. There is a carnival or fair taking place around February and March, on the day of festival of Holi and observed by all Hindus as a mark for triumph of the truth and goodness.On the day of sarad purnima which comes after end of navratra is the day believed on which lord krishna come to dakor as ranchodrai with his great devotee known as bodana. lord come to dakor to fulfil the promise that he will come to dakor with bodana.
Geography
Dakor is located at 22.75°N 73.15°E.[1] It has an average elevation of 49 metres (160 feet).Connectivity
Dakor is connected through rail and road. Dakor is a station on the Anand-Godhra Broad Gauge rail line. Anand and Nadiad are around 30 km away and both are very much conntected by rail and roads. Ahmedabad and Vadodara are around 90 km away and both cities are connected with rail, road and by air.22. Dharmasthala
The village is known for its Dharmasthala Temple which houses the shrine of Shiva,Manjunatha, Ammanavaru, Chandranath and the Dharma Daivas (Guardian Spirits of Dharma) namely Kalarahu, Kalarkayi, Kumaraswamy and Kanyakumari.The temple is unusual in that it is run by a Jain administration and poojas are conducted by Hindu priests of Madhva order. Lakshadeepa- the festival of lights is the annual festival of Dharmasthala comes off in November–December.[2] On an average the flow of pilgrims is about 10,000 people a day. A mechanised kitchen provides free food for all pilgrims and there are guest houses with modern amenities.
Dharmastala represents religious tolerance. A Jain Tirthankara is worshipped beside Daivas and Lord Manjunatha (Shiva). The priests are Vaishnavite Brahmins and the guardian of the temple a Heggade (Jain).
To those who come here for justice, the Heggade - an over 800 year old local lineage - dispense judgements that are said to represent the will of the deities.[citation needed]
There are reportedly free hostelries that provide food and shelter
Legend
It has been told in Dharmasthala that the Shiva Linga in Dharmasthala was brought to Dharmasthala by a Daiva, a local deity with significant supernatural powers, named Annappa. Legend is that he used to work for the Heggade family. Once when the Heggade he was serving wanted to worship Lord Shiva, Annappa had assured him to get one linga and vanished from the sight. Surprisingly next day morning, by the time all woke up, he had already established the linga in Dharmasthala, a few metres away from Heggade's house.Later it was known that the Linga was from Kadri near Mangalore, from the Kadri temple. By then, Annappa had vanished and he was never again sighted in the vicinity. Now people in Dharmasthala worship Annappa as Annappa Panjurli, a local god deva and a hero.
Dharmasthala has not been content being a source of inspiration to the devout. Having expanded the meaning of Dharma to encompasses the advancement of society at large, it has played an active role in bettering the lives of communities far and wide. Its initiatives have aimed at renewing the Paid and hope within, so that people may be helped to help themselves.
800 Years ago, Dharmasthala was known as Kuduma in Mallarmadi,[3] then a village in Belthangady. Here lived the Jain Chieftain Birmanna Pergade and his wife Ammu Ballathi in a house called Nelliadi Beedu. Simple, pious and affectionate people, the pergade family was known for its generosity and hospitality to all.
According to the legend, the guardian angels of Dharma assumed human forms and arrived at pergade's abode in search of a place where Dharma was being practiced and could be continued and propagated. As was their habit, the pergade couple hosted these illustrious visitors with all their wherewithal, and great respect. Pleased by their sincerity and generosity, that night the Dharma Daivas appeared in the dreams of Pergade. They explained the purpose of their visit to him and instructed him to vacate his house for the worship of the Daivas and dedicate his life to the propagation of Dharma.
Asking no questions, the Pergade built himself another house and began worshiping the Daivas at Nelliadi Beedu. This continues even today. As they continued their worship and their practice of hospitality, the Dharma Daivas again appeared before the Pergade to build separate shrines to consecrate the four Daivas — Kalarahu, Kalarkayi, Kumaraswamy and Kanyakumari. Also, Pergade was instructed to choose two persons of noble birth to act as the Daivas's oracles and four worthy persons to assist Pergade in his duties as the Executive Head of the Shrines. The oracles of Daivas are called Delampadithaya and Manavolithaya. In return, the Daivas promised Pergade protection for his family, abundance of charity and renown for the Kshetra. Pergade, as desired, built the shrines and invited Brahman priests to perform the rituals. These priests requested Pergade to also install a Shivalinga beside the native Daivas. The Daivas then sent their vassal Annappa Swamy to procure the linga of Lord Manjunatheshwara from Kadri, near Mangalore. Subsequently, the Manjunatha temple was built around the linga.
Around the 16th Century, Devaraja Heggade invited Shri Vadiraja Swami of Udupi to visit the place. The Swamiji gladly came but refused to accept Bhiksha (food offering) because the idol of lord Manjunatha had not been consecrated according to vedic rites. Shri Heggade then requested the Swamiji to reconsecrate the Shivalinga himself. After doing so, Swamiji arranged for the pujas for the Shivalinga according to Madhwa practices.
Pleased by the observance of the vedic rites and Heggade's charity to all, the Swamiji named the place Dharmasthala, the abode of religion and charity. Thus, the roots of charity and religious tolerance established by the Pergades 600 Years ago have been nurtured and strengthened by the Heggade family, Heggade being a derivative from Pergade. And today's Dharmasthala blossoms with the fruit of this selfless dedication.
Anna dānā
The average flow of pilgrims is about 10,000 people everyday.Every one of the thousands of pilgrims who daily visit shri Kshetra Dharmasthala is an honored guest irrespective of caste, creed, culture or status.The "Anna Daana"(free food) is perhaps one of the most impressive events that takes place at the holy temple.Free food is provided to devotees who come in thousands every day.The temple has modern machinery and makes quality food continuously throughout the day.Temple does not differentiate between the rich and the poor for the Anna Dhaana.The dining hall is known as "Annapoorna" .Vidya dānā
Shri Kshetra Dharmasthala by the SDMCET Society manages a 25 institutions ranging from primary schools, Gurukula to teach yoga, Sanskrit, and professional courses in Engineering, Medicine, and Dental Sciences in Dharmasthala, Ujire, Mangalore, Udupi, Dharwad, Hassan, Mysore and other places of Karnataka state.The Siddavana gurukula started by the Late Manjayya Heggade has become a model educational institution. Over 250 students are provided free lodging and boarding and learn yoga, Sanskrit in addition to basic school curriculum. The specialty of this institution is its endeavor to teach values based on Indian Culture.
Aushada dānā
In the field of health care, the medical trust also provides services to eradicate and prevent many diseases in local villages. The mobile hospital established by poojya shri Heggade is fully equipped to deal with emergencies and to provide medical treatment to the rural folk in remote parts of the Malnad area. A modern tuberculosis sanitorium was built by Dharmasthala Manjunatheswara Medical Trust to give relief to the patients of tuberculosis. It has since been converted into a general hospital. The Ayurvedic Hospitals at Udupi and Hassan provide Ayurvedic medicines as per the ancient text. The Nature Cure Hospital, built on the banks of the Netravathi River, uses a system based on the five elements of Air, Earth, Ether, Water and Light.SDM Eye Hospital at Mangalore, is a modern scientific eye treatment centre. The SDM Dental Hospital serves regular dental needs and provides specialised treatments such as oral implants, surgery for cleft lip and other orthodontic surgeries.
Shri Heggade has been actively involved in propagating the practice of Yoga, the ancient system of fitness. Surya Namaskara Camps are regularly organised where Yoga is taught. Further 250 high school teachers are trained in Yoga every year, who in turn teach at least 100 students each.
Abhaya dānā
Free mass weddings which were started in 1972 have gained popularity. Every year hundreds of couples are getting married (Saamoohika Vivaha Mahotsava) here. Following the tradition of the Kshetra where all religions and castes are welcome, hundreds of couples are married in accordance with their personal religious rite. The expenses of the wedding dress, Mangalsutra and Wedding feast for a limited number of the couple's guests are borne by the Kshetra[4]Heggade family
The present head of Dharmasthala, Padmabhushan Dr.D. Veerendra Heggade, the 21st in succession to the Dharmadhikari Peetha, has launched several socio-economic programmes such as free mass weddings which were started in 1973.In 1973 a statue of Lord Bahubali carved out of a single rock, was installed at Dharmasthala on a low hill near the Manjunatha temple. It is about 39 foot (12 m) high and weighs about 175 tonnes.
More than 25 institutions from primary schools to professional colleges are run in and around Dharmasthala. Old and decrepit temples have been renovated, to preserve the traditional architecture. Ancient manuscripts and paintings have been painstakingly restored and preserved for posterity. A museum of antique objects has been established called "Manjusha Museum". A car museum houses a rare collection of vintage cars. Every year, a Sarva Dharma Sammelan (multi religious meet) is held at Dharmasthala, which attracts spiritual leaders from various faiths and schools, and patrons of art and literature.
Dharmasthala is also among of the few pilgrim centers in India which provides free boarding and lodging to all the visiting devotees.
Transport
Dakshina Kannada has good network of roads.[dubious ] Bus services are run by both private players & the state run KSRTC. The district had public limited (public listed) companies running transport business even before independence of India in 1947.[citation needed] The district has three national highways connecting to different parts of Karnataka state and India. NH-17 connects district with Udupi, Karwar, Mumbai, Goa and Kochi. NH-13 connects Shivamogga and Sholapur with the Dakshina Kannada. NH-48 connects district with Bengaluru,Hassan and Sakleshpura.Recently the state highway connecting Mangalore to Mudigere has been declared as national highway -234 . The NH-234 will connect Mangalore in Karnataka state to Villipuram in Tamil Nadu via Charmadi, Mudigere, Belur, Halebeedu Chintamani and Vellore.[14]The first railway line was laid around 1907 A.D. connecting city of Mangalore with Azhikal. This railway line helped to connect district with other places of then Madras presidency. The Konkan Railway connects Dakshina Kannada with Maharastra, Goa, Gujarat, Delhi, Rajasthan and Kerala by train. There are direct trains from Mangalore to Mumbai, Thane, Chennai, Goa and Trivandrum. Many trains starting from Kerala to Gujarat, Rajasthan and Delhi pass through this district. Recently train services have started to Bangalore via Hassan and Kukke Subramanya. The Dakshina Kannada district has a seaport at Panambur. It is one of the major sea ports on western coast of India. The district is connected by air through Mangalore International Airport at Bajpe
Belthangady
Belthangady is the headquarters
of Belthangady taluk
of the Dakshina Kannada (South Canara) district of Karnataka
state in India.
Belthangady taluk is mostly covered by forests. Western ghats provide scenic
beauty, especially during the monsoon season that usually lasts from the month of June to
September. Dharmasthala in Belthangady taluk is the pilgrim centre for Hindus.
Tourist spots in Belthangady Taluk
- Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara Temple
- Jamalabad Fort
- Charmadi Ghat
- Venur Gomateshwara statue
- Aladangady palace
- Ballamanja Temple
- Bandaje falls: a trekking spot
- Surya Sadashivarudra Temple, Nada.
- Shree Devi Bhagavathi Kshetra, Melanthabettu
- Kuthyaru Somanatheshwara Temple, Belthangady
- Shree Mahadevi Marigudi, Belthangady
- Chandkur Temple, Belthangady
- Sri Rama Temple, Kanyadi
- Seon Ashram, Gandibagilu
- St. Antony Church, Ujre
- Most Holy Redeemer's Church, Beltangady
- Kajooru Dargah Sharif, Kajooru
- Shri Venkataramana Temple,Laila,Belthangady
- Shree Durga kalikamba temple,Kalikamba betta savanal
- shree Jaina theerta kshetra savanal
- Sanyasikatte Shree Parashurama Temple, Mundaje
23. Dwarka
Dwarka (
) also spelled Dvarka, Dwaraka, and Dvaraka, is a city and a municipality
of Jamnagar district in the Gujarat
state in India. Dwarka (Dvaraka in
Sanskrit - used in this article when referring to the city in a historical
context), also known as Dwarawati in Sanskrit
literature is rated as one of the seven most ancient cities in the country. The
legendary city of Dvaraka was the dwelling place of Lord Krishna.
Geography
The modern city of Dwarka is located in the Jamnagar District of Gujarat. The city lies in the westernmost part of India.Dwarka is located at the geographical coordinates of 22.23°N 68.97°E. It is a relatively flat region at sea-level, having an average elevation of 0 metres (0 feet).
Among seven holy sites of India
Moreover, Dwarka is one of seven most holy places for Hindus in India where Varanasi is considered as the holiest of the seven holy cities.
Ayodhyā Mathurā Māyā
Kāsi Kāñchī Avantikā I
Purī
Dvārāvatī chaiva saptaitā moksadāyikāh II - Garuḍa Purāṇa I XVI .14 A Kṣetra is a sacred ground, a field of active power, a place where Moksha, final release can be obtained. The Garuda Purana enumerates seven sites as giver of Moksha, They are Ayodhya, Mathura, Māyā, Kāsi, Kāñchī, Avantikā, Purī and Dvārāvatī.[2]
Demographics
As of the 2001 Indian census,[3] Dwarka had a population of 33,614. Males constitute 53% of the population, and females constitute 47%. Dwarka has an average literacy rate of 64%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; the male literacy rate is 72%, and the female literacy rate is 55%. 13% of the population is under six years of age.The Dwarakadhish Temple
The present temple was built in 16th century CE, while the original temple was believed to have been built by Krishna's great grandson, King Vajra. The 5-storied temple is made of limestone and sand. A flag hoisted in the temple tower five times each day. There are two gateways - Swarga Dwar, where pilgrims enter, and Moksha Dwar, where pilgrims exit. From the temple one can view the Sangam (confluence) of River Gomati flowing towards the sea. In Dwaraka, there are also shrines for Vasudeva, Devaki, Balarama and Revati, Subhadra, Rukmini Devi, Jambavati Devi and Satyabhama Devi.There is a special temple for Rukmini Devi on the way to Bet Dwarka temple. Bet Dwarka a similar deity of Lord Dwarakanath is also kept in Bet Dwaraka. By boat one can reach the temple of Bet Dwarka. The temple has many Shrines for Lakshmi Narayana, Trivikrama, Jambavati Devi, Satyabhama Devi and Rukmini Devi.
Holy City
The city derives its name from word dvar, meaning door or gate in Sanskrit. Dwarka is considered to be one of the holiest cities in Hinduism and one of the Char Dham along with Badrinath, Puri, Rameswaram. The city is especially respected by Vaishnavas.The Jagatmandir temple which houses the Dwarkadhish, a form of Krishna, is also located in Dwaraka.
Nageshvara Jyotirlinga, one of the 12 holy shrines of Shiva, is located near Dwaraka.
Dwarka is also the site of Dvaraka Pitha, one of the four cardinal mathas established by Adi Shankara, the others being those at Shringeri, Puri and Jyotirmath.
Sri Dwaraknath Mahatyam
Adi Shankara had visited Dvarakadisha Shrine and had established the Dvaraka Pitha. The Lord here is dressed in Kalyana Kolam where he appears to be a Royal Wedding costume. It is one of the 108 Divya desams.Darshan, Sevas and Festivals
There are many Darshan and Sevas for Lord Dwaraknath. The dress is changed accordingly. The Darshans follow the Pushti Marg Vaishnava scriptures established by Shree Vallabhacharya and Shree Vitheleshnathji. Dwarkadhish temple is a Pushti Marg Temple. The Darshan are- Mangala
- Shringar
- Gval
- Rajbhog
- Uthapan
- Bhog
- Sandhya Aarati
- Shayan
Dwarka Kingdom
Dwarka is mentioned in the Mahabharata, the Harivansha, the Bhagavata Purana, the Skanda Purana, and the Vishnu Purana. It is said that this Dwarka was located near the site of the current city of Dwarka, but was eventually deserted and submerged into the sea.Characteristics of the City
The city was built by Vishwakarma on the order of Lord Krishna. Land was reclaimed from the sea near the western shores of Saurashtra. A city was planned and built here. Dwarka was a planned city, on the banks of Gomati River. This city was also known as Dvaramati, Dvaravati and Kushsthali. It had six well-organized sectors, residential and commercial zones, wide roads, plazas, palaces and many public utilities. A hall called "Sudharma Sabha" was built to hold public meetings. The city also boasted having the possession of a good sea harbour. The city had 700,000 palaces made of gold, silver and other precious stones. Each one of Lord Krishna's wive had her own palace. Besides this, the city had beautiful gardens filled with flowers of all seasons and beautiful lakes.Submersion into the Sea
After Krishna left the earth for Vaikuntha,about 36 years after the Mahabharat War (3138 BC), and the major Yadava leaders were killed in disputes among themselves, Arjuna went to Dwarka to bring Krishna's grandsons and the Yadava wives to Hastinapur, to safety. After Arjuna left Dwarka, it was submerged into the sea. Following is the account given by Arjuna, found in the Mahabharata:
...imposed on it by
nature. The sea rushed into the city. It coursed through the streets of the
beautiful city. The sea covered up everything in the city. I saw the beautiful
buildings becoming submerged one by one. In a matter of a few moments it was
all over. The sea had now become as placid as a lake. There was no trace of the
city. Dwaraka was just a name; just a memory.
The Vishnu Purana also mentions the submersion
of Dwarka, stating
On the same day that
Krishna departed from the earth the powerful dark-bodied Kali Age
descended. The oceans rose and submerged the whole of Dwarka.
Bet Dwarka
Bet Dwarka is famous for its temples dedicated to Lord Krishna and is of great importance in the ancient Hindu tradition. It and other coastal sites have ample antiquities, mainly potsherds, suggesting maritime trade and commerce with the Mediterranean countries around the Christian era.[6] This flourishing harbor and religious capital is believed to have submerged under the sea after the Krishna left dwarka for vaikunth.[6]A team of archeologists have carried out onshore and inter-tidal zone explorations and a few trial trenches were laid to trace a proper cultural sequence. The most potential sites, where a large number of antiquities were recovered are the sectors, Bet Dwarka-I, II, VI, and IX.
The findings of Bet Dwarka may be divided into two broad periods: Pre-historic period which includes a small seal of conch shell engraved with a three-headed animal motif,[7] two inscriptions, a copper fishhook and late Harappan pottery (circa 1700-1400 BC) and the Historical period consisting of coins and pottery. Onshore and inter-tidal zone explorations have indicated some kind of shoreline shifting around the Bet Dwarka island as a few sites get submerged during high tide.
Offshore explorations near present Bet Dwarka brought to light a number of stone anchors of different types that include triangular, grapnel and ring stones. They are made out of locally available rocks and their period may also be similar to those found at Dwarka and other places. Recently, Roman antiquities including shreds of amphorae and a lead ingot and lead anchors were found. There is also an indication of a shipwreck of Roman period in Bet Dwarka waters.
The archaeological explorations at Bet Dwarka Island have brought to light a large number of data on India’s external overseas trade and commerce with western countries. Recent findings at the Bet Dwarka have shown evidence of Indo-Roman trade. India had an active maritime trade with Rome from the fourth century BCE to 4th century CE. These findings would concentrate on the time period from the first century BCE to the 2nd century CE. The discovery of the amphoras in Bet Dwarka is significant in view of the maritime history of India in concerned. There are remains of seven amphoras from which a black encrustation can be seen. This ware was mainly used for exporting wine and olive oil from the Roman Empire; it is most likely that these were wine amphoras. The discovery of a large quantity of amphora sherds suggests that Bet Dwarka had international trade contact during the early centuries of the Christian era.[6] The findings present the possibility of a shipwreck in this area associated with Roman trade, though it is unlikely that the remains of the hull of the wreck survive.[6] Thus the presence of Roman amphoras show that Roman ships reached Bet Dwarka waters earlier than has been previously noted. These same archaeological findings along with anchors have indicated the existence of several ports, jetties and anchoring points along the west coast of Indian. Though there are no remains of an ancient jetty at Bet Dwarka, the presence of stone anchors in the intertidal one indicates that the high tide was effectively used for anchoring the boats.[8] The presence of a large number and variety of stone anchors in Bet Dwarka suggests that this was one of important ports in ancient times. The location of Bet Dwarka was favorable for safe anchorage in the past since it was protected from high waves and storms.
The proposal for the Dwarka museum, submitted by the MAU, involves laying a submarine acrylic tube through which visitors can view through glass windows the ruins of the city. The State Government of Gujarat and the Travel & Tourism Department of Gujarat are working on this proposal. When completed, it will be the first museum to be built under the sea.
Attack during Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
Main article: Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
Dwarka was attacked on the night of 7
September 1965 by Pakistan Navy under Operation Somnath. Dwarka was chosen for
its proximity (200 km from Karachi Port). The Pakistani vessels fired over
the main temple of Dwarka for more than 20 minutes. The ships fired around 50
shells each. Nearly all the shells remained unexploded.[9]Compositions
Mirabai, Surdas had composed lot of songs on Dwarakdish. The Alwars like Thirumalisai Alvar, Nammalvar, Periyalvar, Andal, Thondaradippodi Alvar, Tirumangai Alvar have sung in praise of Dwarakanath in Tamil.Dvaraka Pitha
History
Sri Trivikrama Tirtha was the leader of the monastery until 1921 when he was succeeded by Sri Bharati Krishna Tirtha. Bharati was invited to lead the Puri matha in 1925 after the position became vacant. Bharati was succeeded by Shri Swarupananda and Shri Yogeswarananda. In 1945, Shri Abhinava Saccidananda Tirtha was nominated to the position. Before assuming his position at Dvaraka, Abhinava was the leader of the Mulabagal matha in Karnataka which was the 17th century branch of the Dvaraka matha. As a result the cumulative lineage of Mulabagal matha was merged with Dvaraka when Abhinava took office there. Years later Saccidananda helped to mediate the Shankarcharya successions at Puri and Jyotir Math.[2] Since Abhinava died in 1982 this pitha or monastery has been led by Swami Swarūpānanda Saraswatī[2][3] who is one of the claimants to the position of Shankaracharya of the northern matha called Jyotir Pitha or Jyotir Math.24. Gaya
Gaya (Hindi: गया),(Urdu: گیا) is the second largest city of Bihar, India, and it is also the headquarters of Gaya District.Gaya is 100 kilometers south of Patna, the capital city of Bihar. Situated on the banks of the Phalgu (or Niranjana, as mentioned in Ramayana), it is a place sanctified by the Hindu, the Buddhist and the Jain religions. It is surrounded by small rocky hills (Mangla-Gauri, Shringa-Sthan, Ram-Shila and Brahmayoni) by three sides and the river flowing on the fourth (eastern) side. The city has a mix of natural surroundings, age old buildings and narrow bylanes.
Importance to Hindu Religion
Gaya derives its name from the mythological demon Gayasur (which literally means Gaya the demon), demon (asur, a Sanskrit word) and Gaya. Lord Vishnu killed Gayasur, the holy demon by using the pressure of his foot over him. This incident transformed Gayasur into the series of rocky hills that make up the landscape of the Gaya city. Gaya was so holy that he had the power to absolve the sins of those who touched him or looked at him; after his death many people have flocked to Gaya to perform Shraddha sacrifices on his body to absolve the sins of their ancestors. Gods and goddesses had promised to live on Gayasur's body after he died, and the hilltop protuberances of Gaya are surmounted by temples to various gods and goddesses. These hilltop temples at Rama Shila, Mangla Gauri, Shringa Sthan and Brahmayoni are part of the pilgrimage circuit, and grand staircases have been built up to most of them.Holy sites in Gaya
Sacred places in Gaya correspond to physical features, most of which occur naturally. Ghats and temples line the banks of the sacred Falgu River. Trees such as pipal trees and Akshayavat, the undying banyan, are especially sacred. The Mangla Gauri shrine is marked by two rounded stones that symbolize the breasts of the mythological Sati, the first wife of Lord Shiva. The most popular temple today is Vishnupad Temple, a place along the Falgu River, marked by a footprint of Vishnu incised into a block of basalt, that marks the act of Lord Vishnu subduing Gayasur by placing his foot on Gayasur's chest. Bhumihar Brahmin have been the traditional priests at Vishnupad Mandir in Gaya as Gayawal Pandas and in the adjoining districts like Hazaribagh.[2] The present day temple was rebuilt by Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar, the ruler of Indore, in the 18th century. Buddhist tradition regards the footstep in the Vishnupad Temple as a footstep of Buddha (who is regarded as an Avatar of Vishnu by Hindus).Gaya is significant to Hindus from the point of view of salvation to the souls of ancestors (a ritual called pinda daan). According to Ramayana, when Lord Rama came to Gaya along with Sita for pitripaksha (or to perform pindadanam), Sita cursed the Falgu River following some disobedience on the part of the river. Ramayana states that on account of this curse, Falgu River lost its water, and the river is simply a vast stretch of sand dunes. At the same time Sita blessed a banyan tree to be immortal. This tree is known as Akshyavat. Akshyavat is combination of two words Akshya (which never decay) and Vat (Banyan tree). Once a year banyan trees shed leaves, but this particular tree never sheds its leaves which keeps it green even in times of drought.
For Buddhists, Gaya is an important pilgrimage place because it was at Brahmayoni hill that Buddha preached the Fire Sermon (Adittapariyaya Sutta) to a thousand former fire-worshipping ascetics, who all became enlightened while listening to this discourse. At that time, the hill was called Gayasisa.
Ancient history
Documented history of Gaya dates back to the enlightenment of Gautam Buddha. About 11 km from Gaya town is Bodh Gaya, the place where Gautam Buddha attained enlightenment. Since then the places around Gaya (Rajgir, Nalanda, Vaishali, Patliputra) had been the citadel of knowledge for the ancient world. These centers of knowledge further flourished under the rule of dynasties like the Mauryans who ruled from Patliputra (modern Patna) and covered the area beyond the boundaries of the Indian subcontinent. During this period, Gaya was a part of the Magadh region.Modern history
The town of Gaya, in about 1810 AD, consisted of two parts : one the residence of the priests, which properly was called Gaya ; and the other the residence of lawyers and tradesmen, which was originally called Elahabad, but later on,as developed by a renowned collector “Saheb”- Mr.Thomas Law, it was called Sahebgunj.It is the birthplace of eminent nationalist Bihar Vibhuti Dr Anugrah Narain Sinha;Bihar's first deputy Chief Minister cum Finance Minister.The last great ruler of Magadha was maharaja of Tekari. Great nationalist and leader of Kisan Andolan, Swami Sahajanand Saraswati established an ashram at Neyamatpur, Gaya (Bihar) which later became the centre of freedom struggle in Bihar. His close associate was Vir Keshwar Singh of Parihas. All the prominent leaders of Indian National Congress visited there frequently to meet Pandit Yadunandan (Jadunandan) Sharma, the leader of Kisan Andolan who resided in the ashram set up by Swamiji. Pandit Yadunandan (Jadunandan) Sharma became the undisputed leader of peasants in the Gaya district and second in command to the legendary freedom fighter and peasant leader Swami Sahajanand Saraswati.[3] Gaya has also immensely contributed in the Indian Independence Movement. During the independence movement, the All India session of the Congress was held under the presidency of Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das in 1922, which was attended by great illumanaries and prominent leaders of the Indian Independence Movement, such as Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Rajendra Prasad,Dr Anugrah Narayan Sinha, Sardar Patel, Maulana Azad, Nehru and Sri Krishna Sinha.Shri Ishwar Chaudhary was a member of Fifth, Sixth and Ninth Lok Sabha during 1971-79 and 1989-91 representing Gaya constituency of Bihar. A well known social and political worker, he devoted his life for the upliftment of the weaker sections of the society. He took active part in the proceedings of the House, which bear a testimony of his concern for the toiling masses of the country. He served on the Committee on welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. He was also associated with the consultative Committee of the Ministry oœ Labour and Welfare. Shri Ishwar Chaudhary, who was a candidate for election to the Tenth Lok Sabha, fell to an assassin's bullet on 15 May 1991. He was only 52 years old.
Transportation
Gaya is well connected to the rest of India by roadways, railways. It also has an airport which has seasonal services for some South-Asian destinations.Local Transport
City bus, taxis, tongas, auto rickshaw, cycle rickshaws ply across the city and for Bodhgaya.Roadways
Regular direct bus services run from Gaya to Patna, Nalanda, Rajgir, Varanasi, Ranchi, Tata (Jamshedpur), Kolkata and Dhanbad. In 2011, A/C Mercedez Benz Luxury services have been introduced by Bihar State Road Transport Corporation for Muzaffarpur, Patna, Motihari, Hazaribagh and Ramgarh.The National Highway 2 Grand Trunk Road from Kolkata to Delhi passes about 30 km from Gaya. This connects Gaya to Patna, Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Bokaro, Rourkela, Durgapur, Kolkata (495 km), Varanasi (252 km), Allahabad, Kanpur, Delhi, Amritsar, and to the Pakistani cities of Lahore and Peshawar. Gaya is connected to Patna (135 km) by NH 83, Nawada, Rajgir (78 km) and Bihar Sharif by NH 82. Plans have been made to construct a four lane road from Gaya to Patna
Airways
Main article: Gaya Airport
Situated between Gaya (7 km) and Bodh Gaya
(11 km), Gaya International Airport is the only
operating international airport in Bihar and Jharkhand. It is connected to Colombo,
Sri Lanka through two airline operators; Bangkok,
Thailand; Singapore
and Paro,
Bhutan. It is said to be being developed as a stand-by to the Kolkata airport.[9]
Gaya Airport is served by Indian Airlines for domestic flights and Sri Lankan Airlines, Mihin Lanka,
Drukair,
Jet Airways,
Thai Airways and Indian Airlines
for international flights. Currently, there are domestic operations to New Delhi,
Kolkata,
Varanasi
from this airport. Other Visiting Temples and
Places
Mahabodhi Temple
Bodhi Tree
Vishunpad Temple
Mangla Gauri Temple
Akshayabat
Barabar Caves
Surya Kund
Brahmayoni Temple
Muchalinda Sarover
Cankamama
Chinese Temple
Indosan Nippon Japanese Temple
Great Buddha Statue
Royal Bhutan Monastery
Dungeshwari Hills
Baitul Anwar
Om Tat Sat
(Continued...)
(My
humble salutations to the great devotees
, wikisources and Pilgrimage tourist guide for the collection
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