Define BIRTHDAY ?
" The Only Day In Your Life ,
Your MOTHER Smiled When You Cried ."
" The Only Day In Your Life ,
Your MOTHER Smiled When You Cried ."
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
An old local saying says, “If you have visited Kunming without seeing the StoneForest, you have wasted your time.” The Shilin Stone Forest covers 96,000 acres with large and small stands of stone “trees.” They actually are karst formations that stand on the earth like stalagmites and looking like petrified trees. Believed to be more than 270 million years old, the stone trees emergedas limestone eroded.
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Swaminarayan Akshardham : ( DELHI )
The beautiful mandir built without steel, consists of 234 ornately carved pillars, 9 ornate domes, 20 quadrangled shikhars, a spectacular Gajendra Pith (plinth of stone elephants) and 20,000 murtis and statues of India’s great sadhus, devotees, acharyas and divine personalities.
The mandir is a fusion of pink stone and pure white marble, where pink stone symbolizes bhakti in eternal bloom and white marble that of absolute purity and eternal peace. Akshardham was created by HDH Pramukh Swami Maharaj in fulfillment to the wish of his guru, Brahmaswarup Yogiji Maharaj, the fourth successor in the spiritual hierarchy of Bhagwan Swaminarayan. In only a short timespan of five years Swaminarayan Akshardham became a reality through the blessings of Pramukh Swami Maharaj, 300 million man hours of epic services rendered by 11,000 volunteers, sadhus and artisans and the immense sacrifice, austerities, prayers of hundreds of thousands of young and old devotees of BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha.
Height: 141.3 ft
Width: 316 ft
Length: 356 ft
The beautiful mandir built without steel, consists of 234 ornately carved pillars, 9 ornate domes, 20 quadrangled shikhars, a spectacular Gajendra Pith (plinth of stone elephants) and 20,000 murtis and statues of India’s great sadhus, devotees, acharyas and divine personalities.
The mandir is a fusion of pink stone and pure white marble, where pink stone symbolizes bhakti in eternal bloom and white marble that of absolute purity and eternal peace. Akshardham was created by HDH Pramukh Swami Maharaj in fulfillment to the wish of his guru, Brahmaswarup Yogiji Maharaj, the fourth successor in the spiritual hierarchy of Bhagwan Swaminarayan. In only a short timespan of five years Swaminarayan Akshardham became a reality through the blessings of Pramukh Swami Maharaj, 300 million man hours of epic services rendered by 11,000 volunteers, sadhus and artisans and the immense sacrifice, austerities, prayers of hundreds of thousands of young and old devotees of BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha.
Height: 141.3 ft
Width: 316 ft
Length: 356 ft
Significance
Lord Swaminarayan and His paramhansas often came to Gondal and bathed in the waters of the River Gondali here.
Gondal is in the Junagadh region and as Mahant of the Junagadh mandir, Gunatitanand Swami often came here for preaching. The royal family of Gondal at that time revered Gunatitanand Swami as their family Guru.
In 1867, whilst meditating, leaning against a pillar in the assembly hall of the old Swaminarayan mandir in the city, Gunatitand Swami took leave of his material body. His body was taken to the outskirts of the town and his last rites performed on the banks of the River Gondali. His ashes were collected and kept in a copper urn. Within two months, Sangramsinhji, the King of Gondal, had a beautiful shrine erected at the exact spot where Swami's body had been cremated. Since that day, the shrine has been known in the fellowship as Akshar Deri.
The sacred memorial soon became an important pilgrimage site for the saints of the Junagadh region and in time, earned fame as a place where one's prayers could be fulfiled.
History
During his last visit to the Akshar Deri, Bhagatji Maharaj predicted: "At this place, an arti of a thousand lamps will be lit and a grand mandir will be built."
For 65 years, the land around the Akshar Deri remained under the administration of the old school. They remained undecided as to whether a mandir should be built here. Meanwhile, Gunatitanand Swami gave darshan in a dream to a devout devotee, Narayanji Maharaj, inspiring him to build a 3-spired mandir here. He, in turn, inspired Haribhai Amin to procure the land around the Akshar Deri. Despite overwhelming odds, Haribhai purchased the land and handed it over to Shastriji Maharaj for the purposes of building a mandir.
Within two and a half years, Shastriji Maharaj constructed a magnificent mandir over the cremation shrine of Gunatitanand Swami and the images of Akshar Purushottam were installed. Yogiji Maharaj was appointed as the first Mahant of Akshar Mandir.
Information
Many miracles have occured in the Akshar Deri. The most famous involving Yogiji Maharaj, who was bitten by a deadly cobra during the construction of Akshar Mandir. Shastriji Maharaj instructed the saints and devotees to chant the Swaminarayan mantra and offer prayers in the Akshar Deri. The effect of the poison soon subsided and Yogiji Maharaj's life was saved.
Today, the mandir is visited by hundreds of thousands of people every year, praying for deliverance from pain, illness and sorrow.
Gondal was very dear to Yogiji Maharaj. After passing away in January 1971 in Bombay, his material body was transported to Gondal and his last rites performed here. At this spot, a marble shrine with a marle image of Yogiji Maharaj has been erected. Known as Yogi Smruti Mandir, a museum has also been set up, wherein the life of Yogiji Maharaj is depicted through an exhibition and his personal belongings preserved.
Festivals
The festivals of Yogi Jayanti (May/June), Sharad Poonam (October) and Diwali (October/November) are celebrated here annually in the presence of Pramukh Swami Maharaj.
Lord Swaminarayan and His paramhansas often came to Gondal and bathed in the waters of the River Gondali here.
Gondal is in the Junagadh region and as Mahant of the Junagadh mandir, Gunatitanand Swami often came here for preaching. The royal family of Gondal at that time revered Gunatitanand Swami as their family Guru.
In 1867, whilst meditating, leaning against a pillar in the assembly hall of the old Swaminarayan mandir in the city, Gunatitand Swami took leave of his material body. His body was taken to the outskirts of the town and his last rites performed on the banks of the River Gondali. His ashes were collected and kept in a copper urn. Within two months, Sangramsinhji, the King of Gondal, had a beautiful shrine erected at the exact spot where Swami's body had been cremated. Since that day, the shrine has been known in the fellowship as Akshar Deri.
The sacred memorial soon became an important pilgrimage site for the saints of the Junagadh region and in time, earned fame as a place where one's prayers could be fulfiled.
History
During his last visit to the Akshar Deri, Bhagatji Maharaj predicted: "At this place, an arti of a thousand lamps will be lit and a grand mandir will be built."
For 65 years, the land around the Akshar Deri remained under the administration of the old school. They remained undecided as to whether a mandir should be built here. Meanwhile, Gunatitanand Swami gave darshan in a dream to a devout devotee, Narayanji Maharaj, inspiring him to build a 3-spired mandir here. He, in turn, inspired Haribhai Amin to procure the land around the Akshar Deri. Despite overwhelming odds, Haribhai purchased the land and handed it over to Shastriji Maharaj for the purposes of building a mandir.
Within two and a half years, Shastriji Maharaj constructed a magnificent mandir over the cremation shrine of Gunatitanand Swami and the images of Akshar Purushottam were installed. Yogiji Maharaj was appointed as the first Mahant of Akshar Mandir.
Information
Many miracles have occured in the Akshar Deri. The most famous involving Yogiji Maharaj, who was bitten by a deadly cobra during the construction of Akshar Mandir. Shastriji Maharaj instructed the saints and devotees to chant the Swaminarayan mantra and offer prayers in the Akshar Deri. The effect of the poison soon subsided and Yogiji Maharaj's life was saved.
Today, the mandir is visited by hundreds of thousands of people every year, praying for deliverance from pain, illness and sorrow.
Gondal was very dear to Yogiji Maharaj. After passing away in January 1971 in Bombay, his material body was transported to Gondal and his last rites performed here. At this spot, a marble shrine with a marle image of Yogiji Maharaj has been erected. Known as Yogi Smruti Mandir, a museum has also been set up, wherein the life of Yogiji Maharaj is depicted through an exhibition and his personal belongings preserved.
Festivals
The festivals of Yogi Jayanti (May/June), Sharad Poonam (October) and Diwali (October/November) are celebrated here annually in the presence of Pramukh Swami Maharaj.
The hallmark of Indian history dates back to the stone age with paintings at the Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka in Madhya Pradesh. These paintings symbolise the earliest known traces of human life in India. The first known permanent settlements appeared over 9,000 years ago and gradually developed into the Indus Valley Civilization, dating back to 3300 BCE in western India. It was followed by the Vedic Civilization, which laid the foundations of Hinduism and other cultural aspects of early Indian society. From around 550 BCE, many independent kingdoms and republics known as the Mahajanapadas were established across the country.
The empire built by the Maurya dynasty under Emperor Ashoka united most of South Asia in the third century BCE. From 180 BCE, a series of invasions from Central Asia followed, including those led by the Indo-Greeks, Indo-Scythians, Indo-Parthians and Kushans in the north-western Indian subcontinent. From the third century CE, the Gupta dynasty oversaw the period referred to as "The Golden Age" of Indian history. Among the notable South Indian empires were the Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Hoysalas, Pallavas, Pandyas, and Cholas. Science, engineering, art, literature, astronomy, and philosophy flourished under the patronage of these kings. Paintings at the Ajanta Caves in Aurangabad, Maharashtra were made in the 6th century.
Following invasions from Central Asia between the tenth and twelfth centuries, much of north India came under the rule of the Delhi Sultanate, and later the Mughal dynasty. Mughal emperors gradually expanded their kingdoms to cover large parts of the subcontinent. Nevertheless, several indigenous kingdoms, such as the Vijayanagara Empire, flourished, especially in the south. In the seventeenth and eighteenth century, the Mughal supremacy declined and the Maratha Empire became the dominant power. From the sixteenth century, several European countries, including Portugal, Netherlands, France, and the United Kingdom, started arriving as traders and later took advantage of the fractious nature of relations between the kingdoms to establish colonies in the country.
During the first half of the twentieth century, a nationwide struggle for independence was launched by the Indian National Congress and other political organizations. Led by Mahatma Gandhi, and displaying commitment to ahimsa, or non-violence, millions of protesters engaged in mass campaigns of civil disobedience. Finally, on 15 August 1947, India gained independence from British rule, but was partitioned, in accordance to wishes of the Muslim League, along the lines of religion to create the Islamic nation-state of Pakistan. Three years later, on 26 January 1950, India became a republic and a new constitution came into effect.
The history of India is a mingle between the East and the West. India has always been an invader's paradise, while at the same time its natural isolation and magnetic religions allowed it to adapt to and absorb many of the peoples who penetrated its mountain passes. No matter how many Persians, Greeks, Chinese nomads, Arabs, Portuguese, Britishers and other raiders had their way into this great country, many of them merged into the society giving rise to a country full of diversity in terms of culture, religion, language and architecture.
In 1915, Mahatma Gandhi chose Ahmedabad as his Karmabhumi - the place of action. It was from here that he united the entire nation towards achieving the dream of independence and posited the ideal of non-violence for the entire world as a unique mode of resistance. Gandhiji found faithful supporters and able companions in this city. The citizens of this city adopted Gandhi’s ideals and without any religious differences jumped into the freedom movement at the great risk to their lives. It is necessary to acquaint the new generation with the primary actors of the city whose contributions were imperative to the independence movement. Moreover, it is necessary to make the citizens proud of the revolutionary activities that took place even before the arrival of Gandhiji and the key leaders of those events. With this vision in 1996, as part of the celebration of 50th anniversary of Indian Independence, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation in cooperation with Khadia Rashtriya Itihaas Samiti launched a walk that glances over the local history and heritage of Ahmedabad. Citizens participated in this tour in huge numbers with great enthusiasm. There was a general feeling that this walk be made a permanent part of the city’s experience. Hence, the Krantiyatra is organized to visit some of the significant places on foot to get to know the valorous people associated with those revolutionary events and freedom movement like Narayan Desai and Divan Venishankar; Swadeshi movement’s prominent elders such as Ambalal Desai, Krupashankar Pandit, Chunilal Bhatt, and Keshavlal Mehta; elders like Seth Ranachodlal and Chinubhai Baronet; certain people close to Gandhi and Sardar such as Dahyabhai Ijataram, Balavantrai Kanuga, Narharibhai Parikh, Jivanlal Barrister, Balavantrai Thakore, and Jivanlal Divan; and some important female personalities such as Sulochnaben Desai and Nanduben Kanuga.
Indian Monuments (8 photos)
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| TAJ MAHAL |
Monuments : India is blessed with number of world heritage monuments showcasing the breathtaking architecture and intricate work. Taj Mahal, a unique master-piece is the wonder in itself, an absolute epitome of Indian culture, heritage and civilization. Behind each monument is an underlying sense of mystery, intrigue and romance. Five thousand years of Indian History has given us the treasure of thousands of monuments across the country, monuments belonging to Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims and Christians. Monuments in India forms a great heritage of India and they are evidence of India's historical past. These monuments reflects the culture and the heritage of yore days. The ancient culture of India is reflected in its historical monuments namely; forts, palaces, temples, monasteries, caves and tombs. These magnificent buildings were built by different rulers. Each ruler had left his indelible mark on the monuments that were built during his time. It is not very difficult to distinguish a monument built by the Mughals from that built by the British. Almost all regions in India can boast of some historical monument or fort.. A variety of architectural forms that have remained unchanged through the ages can be seen throughout India. Some of the distinguished monuments of India are the the Taj Mahal, Qutub Minar, Red Fort, Konark temple, Agra Fort, Ajanta caves, Humayun's tomb and Fatehpur Sikri. The British had also incorporated some fine elements from Indian Islamic architecture into Neo-Classical styles. Among the prominent buildings created by them are Victoria Terminus (Mumbai), Victoria Memorial (Kolkata), Prince of Wales Museum (Mumbai) and many more Indo-Saracenic public buildings of that period.
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| FATEHPUR SIKRI |
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| QUTUB MINAR |
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| RED FORT |
Shrinathji was brought to Mewar region of Rajasthan through Agra and Gwalior, during the oppressive reign of Aurangazeb, for protection from widespread destruction of Hindu temples. The chariot carrying the image is believed to have stuck in mud at Sihad village of Mewar while traveling, and hence the idol was established in a temple built with the permission of the then Rana of Mewar. As per the religious myths, the shrine at Nathdwara was built in the 17th century at the spot as ordained by Shrinathji himself. The temple is also popularly called Shrinathji ki Haveli (House of Shrinathji) because like a regular household it has a chariot for movement (In fact the original chariot in which Shrinathji was brought to Singhar), a store room for milk (Doodhghar), a store room for betel (Paanghar), a store room for sugar and sweetmeats (Mishrighar and Pedaghar), a store room for flowers (Phoolghar), a functional kitchen (Rasoighar), a jewellery chamber (Gahnaghar), a treasury (Kharcha bhandaar), a stable for horses of chariot (Ashvashala), a drawing room (Baithak), a gold and silver grinding wheel (Chakki). There are several prominent temples around the world that play homage to Shrinathji. The "Nathdwara" of the western hemisphere is known as Vraj. It is located in Schuylkill Haven, Pennsylvania. Over 100,000 Hindus visit Vraj in a year. The priests and servants within the temple are not paid any cash salaries, receiving simply prasad as a reward for their duties. Often this prasad is given or sold to guests who visit the temple for darshan.
Jhulta Minara -
This is plate 3 from Robert Melville Grindlay's 'Scenery, Costumes and Architecture chiefly on the Western Side of India'. Grindlay (1786-1877) was only 17 when he arrived in India in 1803. He served with the Bombay Native Infantry from 1804 to 1820 and during this period made a large collection of sketches and drawings.
The Siddi Bashir mosque with its 'shaking' minarets is believed to have been built by a slave of Sultan Siddi Bashir in such a way as to be resistant to earthquakes. Grindlay wrote of the mosque: "the most remarkable circumstance attached to this building is the vibration which is produced in the minarets, or towers, rising from the centre of the building, by a slight exertion of force at the arch in the upper gallery."
This is plate 3 from Robert Melville Grindlay's 'Scenery, Costumes and Architecture chiefly on the Western Side of India'. Grindlay (1786-1877) was only 17 when he arrived in India in 1803. He served with the Bombay Native Infantry from 1804 to 1820 and during this period made a large collection of sketches and drawings.
The Siddi Bashir mosque with its 'shaking' minarets is believed to have been built by a slave of Sultan Siddi Bashir in such a way as to be resistant to earthquakes. Grindlay wrote of the mosque: "the most remarkable circumstance attached to this building is the vibration which is produced in the minarets, or towers, rising from the centre of the building, by a slight exertion of force at the arch in the upper gallery."
The followers of Pushtimarg assert that the deity's arm and face first emerged out of the Govardhan hill, and thereafter, the local inhabitants (Vrajavasis) under the spiritual leadership of Madhavendra Puri started the worship of the Gopal (Krishna) deity,. This Gopala deity was later termed as Shrinathji. Thus, Madhavendra Puri is attributed to discovery of the deity of Gopala near Govardhana, which was later adapted and worshiped by Vallabhacharya as Shrinathji. Initially, Madhavendra Puri, carried out the worship of the deity's upraised arm and later, the face. Shrinathji was originally worshipped in a humble shrine at Jatipur village near Govardhan and subsequently, moved to a larger temple on top of the hill. According to Pushtimarg literature, Shrinathji appeared to Shri Vallabhacharya, in the Hindu Vikram Samvat year 1549 and directed the Vallabhacharya to proceed to the Govardhan Hill to begin worship.
Vallabhacharya made arrangements for the worship of this deity, and this tradition was carried forward by his son, Vitthalnathji.
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