If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

Sri Harmandir Sahib is a divine pilgrimage endowed with the blessings of great Sikh gurus and is a very important and sacred pilgrim center. It has universal appeal across all religions and people from around the world come to worship.

Also known as the Golden Temple, the place is extremely holy to Sikhs. It is remembered by every Sikh in his prayers when he begs the Lord almighty to bless him with a dip in the holy sarovar.

The temple was built over a long period. Guru Ram Das, the fourth Sikh guru laid the foundation of Sarovar of Golden Temple in 1577. The foundation of the temple was laid by a Muslim saint Sain Mian Meer on Jan 13, 1589. During the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in Punjab, a sum of INR 64,11,000 was spent on gold work in the shrine. It is because of this gold work that the temple is known as Golden temple.

Sri Harmandir Sahib has always had a exalted status because of its religious importance but the shrine also houses rich art heritage. Beautifully executed in different materials and techniques, the intricate art on the body of the temple convey philosophical significance besides showing the skill of the craftsmen. these decorative art forms within and outside the main shrine have been classified as jaratkari (inlaid stone), moharakashi (frescos with natural pigments), gach (engraved patterns), tukri (fixing of mirror using mercury) and gold embossing.

Sikh devotees for whom the temple is a symbol of freedom and spiritual intelligence arrive from all over the world to offer prayers.

It is a breath-taking site. It’s incredible in terms of locale and the longevity of occupation. The rock shelters have paintings of later period as well. There are multiple histories immortalised here. - Prof Nayanjot Lahiri, Historian

Bhimbetka was where man expressed his artistic yearnings some 10,000 years ago. It is believed to have had continuous habitation from the early Stone age. UNESCO added it to its World Heritage list in year 2003.

The Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka are in the foothills of the Vindhya Mountains on the southern edge of the central Indian plateau. Within massive sandstone outcrops, above comparatively dense forest, are five clusters of natural rock shelters, displaying paintings that appear to date from the Mesolithic Period right through to the historical period.

The rock shelters located about 45 Kms from Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh (India) have hundreds of paintings that depict pre-historic way of life here.

Of about 700 caves in the region, more than 400 have paintings that depict animals such as elephant, bison, deer, tiger, lion, lizard, and crocodile. Everyday activities like hunting, dancing and drinking are also depicted. While most of these have been done on the walls, some can also be seen on the ceilings.

The paintings have been done mainly in red and white with the occasional use of green and yellow. The colors were probably prepared by combining manganese, hematite, soft red stone and wooden charcoal, mixed with animal fat and extracts of leaves.

The works have been dated from the upper Paleolithic, Mesolithic Age right through to the historical period.

The cultural traditions of the inhabitants of the twenty-one villages adjacent to the site bear a strong resemblance to those represented in the rock paintings.

I’m so deeply moved visiting this great beautiful place, I find no words to express my feelings.

- Ravi Shankar, Sitar Player

A spectacular combination of architecture, nature and culture, this Bahai House of Worship combines the grandeur of a palace and the peace of a monastery. There are no priests, idols, pictures, sermons or rituals here. It is a place for communication between man and his God.

The aura of silence surrounding the prayer hall instills reverence. Daily public services here include selections from the holy books of all religions. Few temples radiate the atmosphere of sublimity, peace and calm so necessary to elevate a devotee spiritually as the Bahai House of Worship.

Set among sprawling green lawns, the petals of this grand lotus are surrounded by nine pools that represent the floating leaves of the flower. The interior dome is spherical and patterned after the innermost portion of the lotus flower. Light enters the hall in the same way as it passes through the inner folds of the lotus petals.

The interior dome is like a bud consisting of 27 petals. Light filters through these inner folds and is diffused throughout the hall. The central bud is held by nine open petals, each of which functions as a skylight.

The nine entrance petals complete the design. Thus light and water form the fundamental design elements.

Lotus Temple was opened to public on January 1, 1987. It took over six years to complete. 10,000 sq.m of marble was quarried from the Mount Pentilekon mines of Greece and sent to Italy from where each panel was cut and shaped before being transported to Delhi.

Lotus temple has etched itself on the consciousness of its visitors capturing their imagination, fueling their curiosity and changing their concept of worship.

“Only if ganga Maiya (Ganga river), Baba Biswanath (Lord Shiva) and Banaras is brought to the United States, will I ever agree to go there and live.” - Ustad Bismillah Khan, Shehnai Maestro.

It is not just the physical space that defines the ghats of Banaras (or Varanasi, it’s current official name). It’s a five millennia old civilization distilled. Banaras is one of the oldest continually lived cities of the world and its ghats are a totem of Indian spirituality and culture.

For visitors, it is an unparalleled visual and spiritual encounter - the devoted descending into the Ganga for Surya Namaskar at the crack of dawn, the thousands of diyas and scented flowers floating on the waters, the pundits and the rituals, the crowds and the commotion..Millions of devotees visit the city each year to wash away the sins, or simply, to wait for death.

It is estimated that there are over 100 ghats in the city. many of the ghats claim their origins from the Gods. For instance, Dasaswamedh - one of the main ghats in the city - is said to be the exact spot where Lord Brahma sacrificed 10 horses. Another ghat - Manikarnika- is said to have got its name when the Goddess Parvati - having lost her earrings (manik) on the banks of the Ganga - asked her husband Lord Shiva to search for them. Thus, devotees say theLord is forever present at the ghat, hunting for the never found earrings.

Because of deep spiritual links, Banaras is the cultural hub of north India. It is believed to be the city of Lord Shiva, who resdes here along with his consort, Parvati. The city, for thousands of years, has been a center for learning. Banaras Hindu University was established here in 1916 by Pt. Madan Mohan Malviya.

Ranked among the seven wonders of the world, praise for this wonder in marble has never ceased ever since it was unveiled to the world almost four centuries ago.

What can be said about the Taj Mahal that hasn’t already been said?

“The sight of its beauty creates sorrowing sighs and makes the sun and moon shed tears from their eyes.” - Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, in his biography Badshahnama.

“A tear drop upon the cheek of time.” - Ravindranath Tagore, Nobel Prize Winner Poet.

“A perfect pearl on an azure ground - with an effect so dazzling that no other work of art can ever produce” - Hodges, British Painter.

“An embodiment of all things pure.” - Rudyard Kipling.

“There are two kinds of people in the world - Those who have seen the Taj Mahal and love it and those who have not seen the Taj and love it.” - Bill Clinton, Former US President.

What makes the Taj so universally appealing?

One reason is it’s physical perfectness. The main marble tomb stands on a square plinth, with four minarets on each corner of plinth, giving it a symmetrical design. The surface of the tomb has been extensively decorated with exquisite caligraphy.

What adds to the Taj’s beauty is not just its physical perfectness but also the story behind it - of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz which gives that extra touch of romance to the monument.

Maybe it is this diversity in which lies the beauty of the Taj - to be different things to different people, yet still be beautiful to all.

Some Facts about the Taj mahal that may be of interest are -

• Built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his queen Arjumand Bano (Mumtaz Mahal).
• Took 17 years and about 20,000 workers to complete.
• In 1983, it was declared a world heritage site and UNESCO described it as the “jewel of Muslim art in India”.
• Most visited monument in India that attracts almost 3 million visitors every year.