pilgrimage

Vande Bharat Express on Delhi-Katra route to Begin from October 2019

September 21, 2019 by sarita

Planning a religious trip to Mata Vaishno Devi Holi Shrine? Here is a good news for you. Indian Railways is all set to introduce the second Vande Bharat Express that will run between Delhi and Katra.

Vande Bharat Express on Delhi-Katra route to Begin from October 2019

The train has successfully completed all the require trials and is ready to take pilgrims to Katra, said Vinod Kumar Yadav,Railway Board Chairman.

Vande Bharat Express on Delhi-Katra route will start operations in the first week of October 2019.

How to Book Vande Bharat Express on Delhi-Katra route

Bookings can be done at Railway Reservation Offices or through IRCTC website.

Train Timings

Vande Bharat Express will leave from New Delhi at 6:00 AM and reach Katra Station, Jammu at 2 :00 PM
The train will depart from Katra on the same day at 3:00 PM and reach New Delhi at 11:00 PM

Stoppage Points:

The new Vande Bharat Express on Delhi-Katra route will have following 3 stoppage points – Ludhiana, Ambala Cantt and Jammu Tawi.

Travel Time

The journey will take just 8 hours. With other trains it used to take over 12 hours. So this surely comes as a big relief in terms of saving time.

Train Fare

-Around INR 1600.
-For the executive chair car (ECC) class – Around INR 3000
Plz check the fare updates on IRCTC website.

Amenities

The train features comfortable seats, WiFi connectivity, GPS-based audio-visual passenger information system, pantry, bio-vacuum type toilets, among others.

Inside Vande Bharat Express Delhi-Katra route

Note – Vande Bharat Express, called train 18, is India’s first enginless train conceptualised, designed and manufactured in India.

40 more such trains will be introduced with sleeper class by 2022.

Rudra Cave – Kedarnath, is the New tourist Attraction in Uttarakhand | How to Book

September 19, 2019 by sarita

The famous “Rudra Cave” in Kedarnath, Uttarakhand, where PM Narendra Modi meditated in May 2019, is fast becoming a major tourist attraction in Uttarakhand.

Since the cave’s opening to the public for the first time in 2018, it is the first time that tourists have started booking in advance, said an official.

Rudra Cave - Kedarnath Booking in Uttarakhand — Rudra Cave – Kedarnath Bookings in Uttarakhand

About Rudra Cave

The cave located around 1 Kms from Kedarnath shrine in Uttarakhand is positioned facing the shrines of Badrinath and Kedarnath. The cave is natural made of stones with a wooden door at its entrance.The cave is maintained by Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN)

How To Reach Rudra Cave

Rudra Cave can be easily reached from Kedarnath following a trek of around a kilometre.

Rudra Cave Kedarnath Uttarakhand — Rudra Cave – Kedarnath, Uttarakhand

Rudra Cave Bookings

The initial allotment of the meditation cave takes place for a minimum of three days.

Rudra Cave can be pre-booked online for INR 1500 for a night stay & INR 999 for day stays between 6 AM TO 6 PM.

Refunds are not provided once the booking has been confirmed.

Things to do inside Rudra Cave

Situated in a remote, isolated location, Rudra Cave in Kedarnath, is meant for Meditation purpose, allowing only 1 person to be inside the meditation cave at a time.

Facilities available

Although the meditation cave offers complete isolation, a phone has been installed inside the cave that can be used by the visitors in case of an emergency.

Apart from the emergency phone, the cave has an attached bell, which can be used to call an attendant available 24×7.

Food is provided throughout the day, including tea in the morning and evening as well as breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
The cave is also equipped with electricity, toilet, heater and drinking water.

Who can stay inside Rudra Cave ?

Those found physically sound and medically fit are allowed to stay inside the cave.

Visitors need to report at the GMVN Guptkashi office a few days prior to the scheduled booking date to undergo a complete medical check-up.

Mysterious Karni Mata Temple in Bikaner – Rajasthan | Rat Temple

January 10, 2018 by sarita

Bikaner in Rajasthan – India, is famous for its imposing palaces, forts and temples. 30 Kms from Bikaner, in the town of Deshnok is one of the strangest and unusual temples in the world – The Karni Mata Temple. The impressive architecture and the spiritual significance of Karni Mata temple makes it one of the most sought after tourist attractions in Bikaner.

Mysterious Karni Mata Temple in Bikaner – Rajasthan Rat Temple

The current temple was built by Maharaja Ganga Singh of Bikaner about 100 years ago. It is made of marble and stone, with silver doors at the entrance. Everyday, thousands of tourists, locals and pilgrims visit Karni Mata temple to seek blessings of the goddess and the rats that rule the temple – yes, you hear it right RATS.

The temple is home to over 20,000 rats also called “Kabas or “little children,”. These rats are treated sacred. Hence, are fed, protected and worshipped here.

WATCH THE VIDEO –

Namastey from team India Ghoomo, It’s Sarita & Kamal and welcome to Rajasthan series. In this post/video, we will take you to Karni Mata Temple and explore the uniqueness of this beautiful mystical temple

The Belief

The main deity in the temple is Goddess Karni Mata who is regarded as the incarnation of Maa Durga & The kabas are believed to be the manifestations of Karni Mata herself and her sons.

Rats at Karni Mata Temple Rajasthan

The Main Shrine at Karni Mata

The shrine has a beautiful 75 cms tall idol of Karni Mata holding a trident or trishul in her hand. She is adorned with a crown and a garland of flowers. It is popular belief that Goddess Durga in the form of Karni Mata lived at the place where the temple stands today and performed miracles during 14th century.

Rats Everywhere!

The moment you enter the temple courtyard you will see rats all over the place – popping out of holes in its marble walls, running around crossing the isle ,tumbling down the staircases and balancing on the frames of the cast-iron gates. You will also find a bunch of them lazing around.

Karni Mata Temple Bikaner – Rajasthan

These rats are very friendly and do not bite the barefooted pilgrims who enter the temple. Rather, you will find them running around and playing with the visitors. And if a kaba happens to run across you feet, consider it auspicious.

You will find the rats either nibbling on sweets and prasad that has been offered to them or slurping milk and water from huge metal bowls kept on the ground. Rats can also be seen inside the main shrine feeding on the prasad and milk offered to Karni Mata, while the pujari performs puja rituals.

The temple rats are different from the ones found in houses. House rats are known of spreading diseases such as plague and often bite people. But the temple rats are totally harmless. There are no recorded cases of humans contracting a disease from the temple rats. The temple has never had an outbreak of plague, unlike other areas of India. The rats are also not known to ever bite or attack humans in any way and they never leave the temple even though they are free to do so.

Yet another strange and astonishing fact about the rats in this temple is that no one has ever seen newborn Kabas and most of them are of a typical size and look replicates of each other. No one exactly knows anything about their mysterious life cycle. However, there is a legend associated with their life cycle that we have mentioned in our blog post. Link is in the description box below.

MUST VISIT!

Karni Mata Temple is the best place to visit if you want to observe fascinating religious customs and want to enjoy watching thousands of rats running around you and over your feet as you walk around in the temple and feel the presence of Karni Mata.

Things to Keep in Mind at Karni Mata Temple

– There is no entry fee

– Temple opens at 4:00 am

– Milk and prasad is easily available at various stalls just outside the temple. Carry some to offer to the deity and to feed the rats.

– Footwear is not allowed inside the temple. However, you are free to wear socks. On request, fabric shoe covers are available outside the temple. You can cover your feet with them before entering the temple.

– The rats are everywhere inside the temple. Hence, their chances of coming underfoot is very high. The temple rule says if anyone happens to crush a rat under his/her foot, they will have to offer a rat made of gold to the temple as punishment. Therefore, be extra careful.

– During Navratri the temple witnesses huge influx of locals to come to seek Karni Mata’s blessings.

Rats at Karni Mata Temple Bikaner Rajasthan

Rats at Karni Mata Temple Bikaner in Rajasthan

Subscribe our Youtube Channel – “India Ghoomo” for more videos and stay tuned for more Rajasthan videos coming up shortly. Till then, take care, Bye..

Ladakh – Basgo Monastery and Basgo Palace | Must Visit!

December 9, 2017 by sarita

Ladakh’s mesmerizing beauty, amazing history and fascinating heritage makes it a popular and most loved travel destinations in India. The surreal landscapes of Ladakh hide a number of mysterious places that have a legend attached to it. One such place is the Basgo Palace perched atop a stone and clay hill.

Ladakh – Basgo Monastery and Basgo Palace

Basgo Palace FACT

The palace is Enlisted among World’s 100 most endangered heritage sites by the US World Monument Fund.

In this post/video we will try to explore the mystic charm of the Basgo Palace and Basgo Monastery.

WATCH Ladakh Basgo Palace VIDEO

Ladakh – Basgo Palace and Monastery Location

Leh-Srinagar Highway

The Basgo Monastery and ruins of Basgo Palace, lie at a distance of 42 km, West of Leh and is on the way towards Sham valley and Lamayuru on the Leh-Srinagar Highway.

Ladakh – Drive Towards Basgo Monastery

How to Reach Basgo Palace and Monastery in Ladakh

After crossing Indus-Zanskar Confluence point, 6 kms ahead of Nimmu Village, a right turn on the road goes to the Basgo Village.

This narrow straight road goes through the village for around 1 and half kilometers. The winding road that starts soon after you cross a small bridge slowly ascends towards the Basgo Monastery and the Basgo Palace.

The Ruins of Basgo Palace

From the road It’s difficult to form an opinion about the kind of a palace it is until you cross the last curve and reach the open space, entire place holds a mystic charm.

Ladakh – Basgo Palace

Made of mud and rocks, The surreal castle ruins perched on a steep hill give an impression of huge anthills emerging from the ground. It makes one wonder about what the palace originally looked like.

History of Basgo Palace and Basgo Monastery

Ladakh – Basgo Palace Basgo Monastery

Earlier, Ladakh was divided into 2 parts – the upper Ladakh ruled by Takbumde from Leh and Shey & the lower Ladakh ruled by Takpabum from Temisgam and Basgo. A former king of Basco named Bhagan, brought back together Ladakh by conquering the Leh’s King and took on the last name Namgyal which means triumphant. The new kingdom later set up by him continues to exist till date.

Basgo Monastery

The complex includes the ‘ruins of the castle’ and a ‘Monastery’ – called the Basgo Monastery, and is noted for its Buddha statues and old Murals.

Ladakh – Basgo Palace and Monastery

The Castle and the Monastery were set up on the hill top in the year 1680. While the castle is in a state of ruins, the monastery is now re-established. UNESCO and the Basgo Welfare Committee have united to restore the ancient castle compound.

Buddha Temples

Ladakh Basgo Monastery Buddha Temples

A small walk towards the right takes you to the Monastery which houses three different Maitreya Buddha temples – Serzing & Cham Chung Temple on the left & Chamba Maitreya on the Right. A monk who resides there will happily take you to a tour around the 3 temples.

Chamba Maitreya

Ladakh Basgo Monastery Chamba Maitreya

The biggest of the three is the Chamba Maitreya set up on a hill top. The temple can be accessed by climbing up a number of steep vertical stairs which might be a bit exhausting for some. From the top one gets beautiful views of the entire complex and the village. The temple holds a huge 14 meters high golden copper-gilded statue of Maitreya Buddha.

Ladakh Basgo Monastery Chamba Maitreya

The walls of the temple are adorned with various painting of Buddha and other celestials beings.

Serzing Temple

Ladakh Basgo Monastery Serzing Temple

On the lower downhill, in the opposite side lies the second temple the Serzing temple and is ancient than Chamba MAITREYA. To reach the temple, One has to walk through the narrow paved pathway lined with white washed walls on either sides. The unexpected dramatic turns with astonishing views of the surroundings kept us thrilled and left us wondering about what we might stumble upon next.

The temple houses a large copper-gold Maitreya Buddha statue and the walls are adorned with colorful Paintings and murals. The conservation of this temple is being undertaken by the Basgo Welfare Committee.

Cham Chum Temple

Ladakh Basgo Monastery Cham Chum Temple

The third temple to the right is the Cham Chum temple. Its was built by a Muslim Balti princess to offer her namaz, but later converted into a Buddhist temple when she adopted Buddhism. It’s the smallest shrine in a not very good shape. Efforts are being taken to preserve the structure.

The temples offer beautiful views of the entire complex, the surrounding mountains and the village below.

Ladakh View from Basgo Monastery

Best Season and Timing to Visit Basgo Palace and Baso Monastery

Morning : before 11:00 am

Evening : between 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm

These are the best timings to watch the beautiful landscapes. The hilltop offers beautiful views of the Basgo village below surrounded by mountains.

Time Required to Explore Basgo Palace in Ladakh

Exploring the Palace and Monastery will not take more than half an hr. One can easily spend hrs admiring the beauty of the surroundings and the castle ruins.

Additional Information:

– There is an Entry fee for all the 3 temples

– Photography is allowed inside the temples

– Wear comfortable footwear

– Amazing place for photography

VERDICT!

Despite of being such an amazing place, the Basgo palace gets a very few tourists. One must visit this place to experience the mystic charm of the monastery, The crumbly mud mountains, the landscape and the surreal Basgo palace in ruins.

MUST VISIT!

So that’s it friends. Stay tuned for more Ladakh posts/videos coming up shortly. Make sure to SUBSCRIBE our channel India Ghoomo so you don’t miss any videos. We will see you soon in our next post. Till then take care. Bye!

Ladakh Travel Guide

Ladakh Landscape

Ladakh Sham Valley Basgo Palace

Ladakh Basgo Palace view

Ladakh Basgo Monastery and Palace

Ladakh Basgo Monastery hill

Ladakh How to Reach Basgo Monastery and Palace

Ladakh Basgo Palace India Ghoomo

Ladakh India Ghoomo Basgo Palace

Hampi Sacred Centre – Group 2 – Hemakuta Hill | Virupaksh Temple | Sasivekalu Ganapati | Kadlekalu

December 4, 2017 by sarita

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site situated along the Tungabhadra river in Karnataka’s Bellary district. Hampi in the 14th Century, was declared as the capital of the glorious Vijayanagar empire and was the largest & richest cities in the World.

Hampi Tourism Virupaksha Temple

The Vijayanagar kings created a number of beautiful huge temples which were marvels of architecture. The Mughul invasion destroyed the city and demolished all the structures. The Ruins of Hampi, as it’s known today, is a huge open museum of religion, architecture and on display.

HAMPI ATTRACTIONS

Along with the surreal landscape, Hampi houses one of the oldest functioning temple not just in Hampi but in India as well – The Virupaksha Temple.

HAMPI RUINS

The Hampi ruins can be broadly grouped into 2 categories – The Sacred Centre & the Royal Centre.

In part – 1 post/video, we gave you an overview of Hampi – it’s history, location and other useful information. We recommend you to watch and read part 1 post/video before watching this one so that it’s easier to understand this part.

WATCH VIDEO – Hampi Sacred Centre – Group 2

The Sacred Centre of Hampi

The Sacred Centre in Hampi is where most of the temple and religiously significant sites are located. We have further categorized Hampi Sacred Centre into 4 groups based on its proximity and each requires about 2 hours to explore.

In this post/video, we will cover the major Hampi tourist attractions that come under Group 2 of the Sacred Centre. All the sites are very close to each other.

We will cover –

Sasivekalu Ganapati
Kadlekalu Ganapati
Hemakuta Hill
Virupaksh Temple
Hampi Bazaar
Monolithic Nandi (way to Achutaraya temple)

How to Reach Hampi ?

From Bangalore to Hospet – 375 kms

From Hospet to Kamlapur – 12 Kms

Hampi can be reached by road, rail or air. However, road is the most preferred option. Hospet, a small town located about 12 kilometers from Hampi is the nearest railway station and has a bus stop too. It’s an overnight journey from Bangalore, Goa & Hyderabad and can be reached by car, bus or train.

From Hospet hire an auto-rickshaw or catch the local bus and in about 30 minutes you would be at the centre of Hampi.

How to Reach Group 2 Sites ?

From Kamlapur – 6 Kms

Time Required to Explore these sites in Hampi ?

2 hrs

How to Tour?

You can hire motorbikes and bicycles to cover a wider area, The local three wheeled taxi (Auto-rickshaw) or car is also available for hire at the site.

Sasivekalu Ganapathi

At a walkable distance from the main Hampi bus-stand, situated at the foothills of Hemakuta hills is a giant Monolithic statue of Lord Ganesha called the Sasivekalu Ganesha. The statue of Sasivekalu Ganesha was built in 16th century by a mustard seeds merchant in memory of King Narsimha, the second of the second of the Vijayanagara Empire. Sasivekalu in Kannada means Mustard , hence the name of the statue.

Sasivekalu Ganapathi Hampi

This 8 feet tall statue of lord Ganesh is seated in a half-lotus posture on an open mantap with square pillars all around.

Sasivekalu Ganesha statue has four hands, the upper right hand has a goad and the broken tusk is held in the lower right hand. The upper left hand has a noose and the lower left hand is broken and it has a sweet.

Sasivekalu Ganesha Hampi

You can see a beautifully carved snake around the Lord’s pot belly. It is believed that Lord Ganesh once ate a lot of food and to save himself from a belly explosion, he found a snake and quickly tied it around his cute belly. This temple was open for worship to the common citizens.

Kadlekalu Ganapati

Another huge Ganesha Temple a bit North of Sasivekalu Ganesha called the Kadlekalu Ganesha was exclusive to the Royal family.

This 15 feet tall statue of Lord Ganesh was carved out of a huge boulder. The belly of this statue resembles a Bengal gram in local language called Kadalekalu. Hence, the name.

There is an open porch with slender long pillars right in front of the Kadalekalu Ganesha Temple. A sanctum is built around the statue with a pillared hall right in front.

Hemakuta Hill & Hemakuta group of Temples

The Sasivekalu Ganesha and Kadelekalu Ganesha are located on the southern foothill of the Hemakuta Hill. While it is not a tall hill, the Hemakuta Hill is one of the main attractions in Hampi offering spectacular Sunset views.

Hemakuta Hill & Hemakuta Group of Temples

The Hemakuta hill is just a 15 minute climb from the foothills of the Kadelekalu Ganesha. The top of the hill is a flat expanse of rocky sheet. A large number of temples, archways and pavilions referred to as Hemakuta group of temples are built on the hill.

Most of the Hemakuta group of temples are dedicated to Lord Shiva and are among the oldest cluster of temples in Hampi belonging to the era before the Vijayanagara Empire. The architecture of these temples are different from Vijayanagara style architecture. These are compact triple chambered structures with pyramid like roofs made from granite.

There are over 35 temples on the Hemakuta Hill. The Mughal invasion has destroyed quite a number of temples while some are in comparatively better condition. The Virupaksha temple can be seen from the North side of the hill offering a bird’s eye view of the temple complex. From here, we climb down the hill and proceed towards the Virupaksha Temple.

Virupaksha Temple

Dedicated to Lord Shiv, Virupaksha Temple is believed to be functioning ever since it’s construction in the 7th century A.D making it one of the oldest functioning temple not just in Hampi but in India as well.

Virupaksha Temple Hampi Karnataka

The first thing that you will notice about this temple is 165 feet tall Gopuram or the entrance making it the second highest in India, the first being that in the Meenakshi Temple in Madurai. The huge Gopuram leads you the first courtyard of the temple complex with a lot of open space. This courtyard houses a pillared hall called 100-column hall at the far left corner and a Kalyana Mantapa at the far right corner. It also has administrative offices, ticket counter & a police outpost.

Virupaksha Temple Hampi Karnataka Gopuram

Further forward you will enter another gopuram that leads to the second courtyard. Just before entering through the gopuram towards left is a shoe safekeeping and a ticket counter. As you enter the inner complex you will see the temple of the other end with long pillared corridors on the either sides of the huge empty space. In the middle of the empty space, you will see a sanctum with 4 nandi statues in it facing the entrance of the main Shiv Temple. Photography is not allowed beyond this point.

Hampi Bazaar

When you come out from the Virupaksha temple main gopuram, towards the left side of the lane is Hampi Bazaar also called as Virupaksha Bazaar.

There are numerous shops lined on both sides of the lanes, selling colourful artifacts, gypsy clothes, lambani handicrafts and musical instruments that you can buy.

Monolithic Nandi

A huge monolithic Nandi, the mount of lord shiv facing the Virupaksha Temple is located on the opposite end of the street in front of the Virupaksha temple.

The nandi statue is housed in a double storied pavilion built on an elevated platform.

Monolithic Nandi Virupaksha Temple Hampi

A number of huge boulders behind the statue add an interesting backdrop. Towards the left side of the pavilion, a number of steps takes you to the Achutaraya’s temple which is on the other side of the hill.

We will cover Achutaraya’s temple in Hampi Sacred Centre – Group 3 post.

So that was all about the Hampi attractions that come under group 2 of the sacred centre.

I hope you found this post/video useful. Subscribe our channel India Ghoomo for more travel videos. Thanks for watching.

Hampi Travel Tips:

Carry some snacks and a water bottle while touring around in Hampi
While photography is allowed at almost all the places, there are a couple of sites which require special permission.
Don’t miss the sunset from Hemakuta Hills
Monopods and tripods are not allowed at most of the sites
Hampi maps are easily available. It’s recommended to buy a copy
Photography is not allowed inside the Virupaksha Temple main sanctum.

Hampi Ruins Karnataka