Vashnovi Devi

Mata Vashnov Devi Temple is situated in Katra about 50 Km from Jammu and Kashmir which is in the north of India. You can easily go to Katra with the help of rail service. You can take a by-pass from place called Kunjwani, else can reach there by tourist or private bus.

The Legend Of Vaishnaovi Devi is that, About 700 years back she being a devotee of Lord Vishnu,a celebacy was praying to Lord Rama when the demon god Bhairon Nath laid eyes upon her .She ran till she reached the Holy cave at Adhkawari (Garbh Joon-Gestation period) where she hided for about 9 months after that she came out of it by blasting it with her spear. Thus Mata who was in form of human joined with her other creators of astral form .It has been told that whoever goes to her holy shrine never returns empty handed as she is an embodiment of Dharm, Arth, Kaam, Moksh which means virtue, material interests, contentment and enlightenment .

The shrine provides room service throughout the track of holy cave like Jammu, Katra, Adhkawari and other places with rent and also free of cost. Katra which is a hilly station is above 2500 feet above sea level while holy cave above 5200 ft.. Visitors need to take blankets or sweaters else you can also get for rented from the board of shrine. Throughout the path to holy cave several shelter sheds for the pilgrims were built with toilets and other refreshment units attached where you can get water, food etc. There are about 12 Refreshment units (called view points) which will give you a bird’s eye view of the whole valley

There are medical facilities available in Katra along with 24 hour charitable service provided the Shrine itself. At the main temple several cloak rooms are available where you can keep your clothes, blankets etc and there is souvenir shop at the main temple where you will get the offerings .

Tirupathi

Tirupathi is a sacred place situated in Andhra Pradesh about 130 kms away from Chennai, from where you can always get train from the main station of Chennai to Tirupathi. Tirupathi is reachable from main cities like Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad

In the main temple where pilgrims may range from 200,000 to 500,000 on festivals is located in Venkatadri, one of the seven hills of Tirumala hills which was named after the serpent(snake) having seven hoods called Sheshnag. Lord Venkateswara who is the idol worshipped there is also called as Balaji, Govinda, Venkatachalapathy etc and is an embodiment of Lord Vishnu. The temple is supposed to draw maximum pilgrims and is one of the richest temples in the world. Devotees believe that mukti or bliss in Kali Yuga is only possible through the worship of Sri Venkateswara.

The history of the temple is that Thondaiman who was a tamil ruler of Kanchipuram (which was called thondaimandalam) had a dream in which Venketeshwara appeared and he built the temple. A local farmer in the place had a dream asking to feed the ants in the anthill. The local King of the place himself began to feed the ants and anthill was unveiled showing the idol of Venkatewara inside.

Devotees come in large numbers especially on a day called Ekadashi of month called Vaikunda, during which, if prayers are offered to god, they will forgiven for their sins forever.

Tirupathi shrine is managed by an organization called Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanam(TTD).They have also founded ‘Purohita Sangham’,a group which conducts marriages ,naming ceremony and other functions taking a fixed fee. For such functions there are various halls built in and around Tiruchanoor Road and it will be given on first come first serve basis, so you need to book months before. Devotees give their hair as offering to the god after taking any vow. Tirupathi Laddu( sweet) and Appam ,another sweet is given to each and every devotee who enter the main temple. Annual festival called Brahmotsavam is one of the function which last for nine days

Kanyakumari

Kanyakumari is situated at the meeting point of three oceans, Arabean Sea, Gulf of Munnar and Indian Ocean. It is in TamilNadu state border. The state which is located at the tip of Indian Penisnsula ,previously called Cape Comorin is center for pearl harvest. Nearby Marunthuvazh Malai(hill where medicine exists) situated about 7 km in Kottaram from where Hanuman took Mritha Sanjivani(medicinal herbs) from Himalayas to Lanka. There is Agastheeswaram (named after saint Agasthya), a small village near the hill from where you can view Kanyakumari along with its greeneries.

Kanyakumari is called so because Kumari Amman (virgin god) waited for Lord Shiva to marry her, who never came and she, the worshipper of Shiva stayed a virgin forever. The small stones in the area are supposed to be the grains that were kept by her for her marriage which never happened.

Kanyakumari was a trade center in the periods of Cholas, Pandyas, Nayaks etc. After the rule of Marthanda Varma King, Kanyakumari came to be known as Southern Travancore which is famous for religion and art even now.

The sunset view from Kanyakumari is supposed to be the loveliest and a treat for the tourists. On Pournami (full moon) evening pilgrims can see the sunset and the moon-rise at the same time on either side of skyline which is a wonderful view.

Other places are ‘Vivekananda Rock Memorial’, where Vivekananda did meditation, ‘Sri Padaparai rock’, where there is an imprint of the Goddess Parvati’s feet, whose nose ring even shines from the sea as per the legend. There is also a big statue of ‘Thiruvalluvar’ on one of the rocks which is Asia’s largest statue.’Gandhi Memorial’, a place where Gandhi’s ashes were kept for view of public before submerging.

Other places to visit are Vattakotai fort(circular fort),Suchindram (6 meter tall Hanuman idol),Panchappathi(5 sacred paths of Ayyavazhi, which is a temple in Tamil Nadu),Nagercoil(snake god),Padmanabhapura Palace,Chitharal Jain monuments, Udayagiri fort ,Olaparapppu and Vattaparai falls, Thengapatinam and Sangathurai beach, Pechiparai and Mukkudol reservoir, all in the vicinity of Kanyakumari

Golden Temple

The Golden temple which is in Amritsar, Punjab also called ‘Darbar Sahib‘or ‘Harmandhir’ is the place where the god of Sikh religion is established. The project which was completed was designed by Guru Arjan Sahib who is followed by various others like Baba Buddhaji, Bhai Saholji and many more.The wonder of the temple is that, it has got four doors or openings unlike a Hindu temple and has three storeys. The temple is open for all without any caste discrimination and it represents a symbol of faith. After the creation, Buddha was posted as the reader of Guru Arjan Sahib. It is built over the Sarover tank on a square platform of 67 feet. The artistic arch opens towards a bridge which is interconnected with main shrine which has steps having reading of Guru Granth Sahib. The architecture is really a wonder and shows a harmony between Hindu and muslims

All of the temples of Sikh are called Gurudwara (path reaching Guru) and it will be bathed in water so that pilgrims can have holy bath in the pool .This religion mainly trust in Gurus and thinks Guru as a raft to take to God. There were about ten gurus who founded the religion and Sikhs believe that divinity is passed from one Guru to another. These Sikhs believe in group prayers, thus they congregate to pray. They also have community kitchen hall serving food for all without any racism. These Sikhs gather in groups to conduct celebrations of birth day of Gurus called Gurpurbs, which last for about three days. A procession (NagarKirthan) will be held on the previous day called Akhanth path in Gurudwara. It will include five beloved ones of Guru (maybe devotees), various school children, eminent citizens and other devotees. The whole path will be made colorful with flowers, posters etc. Other ceremonies like Kirthan darbar ,Amrit Sanchar are also conducted in Gurudwara and sweet pudding and food are offered followed by it.

The birthday of Guru Nank comes on the month of full moon day in April, while Guru Gobindh Singh’s birthday is celebrated on 5^th of January every year.

SGPC (Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee) is supposed to be a parliament for people of Sikh religion where those who are above 18 years are allowed to register and is elected once in five years. SGPC, also executes various schools, medical colleges, charitable trust etc other than managing Gurudwaras

Rishikesh

Rishikesh is placed in UttarKhand near Dehradun district, where Himalayas meet with the ganges valley where Lord Shiva is the idol worshipped. It is also an opening to the Himalaya Mountains from where the travel begins. It consists of 2 bridges called Lakshman Jhula aand Ram Jhula where all hotels and restaurants are situated. By private vehicle you can travel from airport of delhi which is about 6-7 kms. There is also bus service available from Delhi and trains between Haridwar and Rishikesh are also available. All travel agencies are located in Lakshman Jhula and Swarg Ashram of Rishikesh.

Lord Vishnu appeared to ‘Raibhya Rishi ‘as a result of his austerity as Lord Hrishikesh from which Rishikesh came into being. There are also legends that Rama killed Ravana here and Lakshmana crossed the river Ganges from which Lakhshman Jhula formed. For the festival called Savan which comes in the month of July various devotees get flocked to Rishikesh.

Swarg Ashram is a beautiful place covering the foot of mountain Himalaya on the banks of river Ganges between bridge Lakhshman Jhula and Rishikesh. It will be completely filled with temples and ashrams and it is famous for its healthy living environment. This is a hot spot where saints used for meditation. The Chardham Yatra or travel can be done which involves a journey to sacred place from gateway of Himalayas to Badrinath, Kedarnath,Gangotri and Yamunotri

Other places nearby to see is Parmarth Niketan where kids will get knowledge of Vedas ,Bharat Mandhir, Neelkanth Mahadev Mela, Trayambakeshwar Temple,Gita Bhavan where Hindus gather to read Ramayana twice a year, Triveni Ghat which is a place to have bath and it is wonderful to sit on the banks of it with its cool breeze. It is also a place where you can enjoy river raft which has about 13 of them. You can also enjoy rappelling, cliff jumping, rock climbing, trekking and kayaking (a ride in river in which Kayak or canoe is used instead of paddlers) .The ashrams are famous for different types of Yoga with various Ayurvedic centers.

Hampi

Hampi was the capital of medieval period of Hindu empire is somewhere in middle of Thungabadra river It was called Vijayanagara (city of Victory) and is in northern part of Karnataka state. Even though the civilization is in ruined condition, it reveals more than it has .It consists of more than 500 monuments including temples, palaces, pavilions, royal platforms, ancient market streets, treasury buildings etc. An open Museum unveils about 100 plus popular locations. Only a zonal map can help you go around hampi. Since it covers bigger area, you can choose royal center where courtly structures are found, sacred center where all the temples are found ,thus dividing Hampi into 3-4 zones.

Other places to watch is Kamalapura where some of the attractions are seen, Badavilinga temple where lingam of Shiva is established which is near Narasimha statue. It has got a confused looking landscape and its architecture thrills you in one way .Mahanavami Dibba is at the enclosure and it is tallest structure having three layers with front layer filled with carvings of elephant. It was constructed by King Krishnadevaraya. There is two storey gateways where path goes from Kodanga temple to vittal temple. Purandaradasa Mandapam is the place situated in Hampi where famous poet Purandara Das stayed. Hampi boulders are really awesome and thus are a place which provides visual pleasure. The Anegundi,old capital of Hampi also have various sites to see and there are Shivalingas(idol of shiva) across the river..

The stone carvings as well handmade blanket which were made by localities are worth buying. There are various guest houses and Restaurants close by and nearest Airport is Hubli. Bus services as well as rail services are also available. The nearest railway station being Hospet junction is about 13km.

Hampi was multicultural city with Islam in empires peak. Lord Virupaksha is supposed to be the diety of Hampi. Overall Hindu iconic god dominates. Hanuman (monkey warrior) is also another lord there. The entire architecture is a mixed blend of Hindu and Islam (Indo-Saranac).

Varanasi

Varanasi also called Khashi or Benaras is one of the seven holiest places of Hindus in which Lord Shiva is worshipped. Varanasi, being situated on the banks of Ganga is believed to provide instant Mokhsha (liberation), if the dead is cremated here. Varanasi, being cultural capital of India attracts lot of tourists and is a center for learning, religion, sanskrit(language), philosophy, astrology etc

Varanasi being oldest city is about 3000 years and is having about 3300 million shrines. The river front of ganges (Ganga Ghat) is a pilgrimage spot of music and art of learning. Jyotirlinga Viswanatha Temple also called Golden Temple where Lord Shiva exists contains Jnana Vap(Well of Wisdom) which is supposed to be excavated by Lord Shiva

You can have a holy tour around the path of Panchkoshi Parikrama with 5 miles encountering about 108 shrines on the path, of which Panchakoshi temple is the main one. Another tour, Nagara Pradakshina (touring round the city) covers about 72 shrines. The city is supposed to have gifted various saints like Buddha, Mahavira etc. Varanasi is a place for Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainsim and it is an ideal of philosophy, mysitisicm, spiritualism etc. Another place to visit is Alamgir Mosque which is architecture for both Hindu and Muslims alike. Some of the most significant temples of Varanasi are Vishwanath temple, Durga temple, Tulsi Manas temple, Sankat Mochan temple, Bharat Mata temple.etc .

The temple built in Nepali style called Kathwala stays on Lalita Ghat. The temple is famous for its woodwork. It is created by Nepali King and is an asset to India since its woodworks attracts tourist, though workers and wood were imported from Nepal.

The tourists usually take Delhi-Agra- Khujaraho- Varanasi route which is quite common airline service. Otherwise through rails you can come from Delhi (Rajdhani Express) or Mugalsarai which is 10 kms from Varanasi and any other major city like Mumbai, Calcutta etc. There are two junctions where you can get down, Kashi Junction and Varanasi Junction .Buses are also available which pass through all major towns of UP and those that are nearby.

Madhurai

The entire Madhurai district stands in Vaigai river of Madhurai district, in Tamil Nadu .It is carved in the shape of lotus and Madhurai Meenakshi Temple being in the centre , the whole city surrounds the temple .All the streets are in rectangular shape of which Chittirai, Aadi, Aavani Moola are some of them which are named after Tamil months.

Madurai has been famous for its cultural diversity where three religion heads like Aadheenam (an ashram leaded by guru Thirugnana Sambanthar(1st Maha Guru)), Kazhiyar( kazi ,head of Muslims),Archbishop(head of catholic Christians) existed the It is city of four junctions - city of jasmine, sleepless city, Athens of east and city of festivals.

Madurai attracts lot of tourists of which Sundeswara temple is an architectural wonder of one of the greatest Shiva temple of Tamil Nadu state. Meenakshi Temple is a symbol of love of Goddess Meenakshi with Sundareswaran(Lord Shiva).Shiva blessed the city by dropping nectar from his locks of hair from which the city was called City of Divine Nectar(Madhurapuri). You can see about 1000 pillars, each making different sounds and notes of music Another place to visit is Thirumalai Nayak Palace, a palace constructed without any support of raft .It is four times bigger of modern building containing pond, garden, quarters, apartments, theaters etc with large paintings in the roof of Vaishnavites and Shaivites. The Mosque masjid located near the temple, called Madurai Maqbara, is a place where Muslims can worship.

Gandhi Museum is yet another site developed from Mangammas palace. Goripalayam, another place which is a green dome seen on the banks of river Vaigai is made of single stone.

Other places like Theppakulam, which is a part of Vandiyur Mariyamman temple, Azhagar hills which have Navagraha and Haygriva temple, where horse is the main idol and St Mary’s cathedral church of Catholics can be checked.

Another place worth seeing is ThiruparamKundram, which is temple of Muruga located about 7 km from Madhurai city. The legend of the temple is that Muruga married deivanai. The place is also the beginning of six dwellings of Muruga (Arupadai veedu).

Mathura

Mathura in Uttar Pradesh state is renowned for images of Buddha. It was ruled by Uncle of Sri Krishna, Kansa and is the birthplace of Lord Krishna. It is nearby to Vrindavan and Govardhan. According to the legend Ikshwaku King killed demon god Lavanasura and the city also got its name from a Yadhav (group belonging to God Krishna) King called Madhu who ruled the state. Madhuvan is the name that was called previously, because of its thick woods.

Mathura is also called Mathura Lion Capital (Indo - Scythion sandstone capital) was under empire of Kushans, out of two capitals. Scythion governors were ruling Gujarat and Malwa .Mathura Museum has got the widest collection of red stone carvings. There is a mosque called Jama Masjid built by damaging Keshav Dev Temple nearby and Dwarkadeesh is the place where Sri Krishna temple is situated. Since it is the native town of Lord Sri Krishna, number of temples of different forms of Krishna are established in each temple of which Banke Bihari,Rangji ansd Iskcon are worth considering.

Mathura being well connected through rail to different cities has another station called Krishnajanmabhoomi which is a tourist site and connects Vrindavan, which is a twin city to Mathura, through rail. New airport is on the process and major centers to visit near is Jai Gurudev Ashram, Bhooteswar and Rangeswar temple, Radharani, Hanuman, Shandidevi temple, Garud Govind temple. Visram Ghat, a ghat in river Yamuna, main ghat of Mathura of the different 25 ghats. Mathura industry is biggest in oil refinery of asia. Mathura has yet to develop its place as a well known tourist place.

Rasiya is a custom of Mathura and is supposed to be part of their culture which describes folk songs of love between Radha(lover of Krishna) and Lord Krishna. It was believed that Krishna danced with gopis (his girl friends) on banks of river Yamuna. Brajbhoomi is the place where Krishna was born and village Vrindavan, about 15 kms away from Mathura, is where he spent his youthful days. It is believed that landing on Vrindavan one gets spiritually purified.

Haridwar

Haridwar is supposed to be one of the holiest places for Hindus and it is located in UttarKhand(Uttaranchal) district. Rishikesh is only about 1 km from it. River ganges after its flow of 253 km opens in the indo gangetic plains that is the gateway of Haridwar. Haridwar is the largest city of that district.

Kumbh Mela which was celebrated widely every 3 years in one of the four sacred places, thus comes after 12 years in Haridwar .The legend is that bird Garuda spilt some drops of amrit (divine wine) in the place, which became Brahma Kund, a sacred spot. There are two types of devotees here, those who preach Lord Shiva, Shaivites called the place Hardwar(Har= Shiv) and those who preach Vishnu,Vaishnavites called Haridwar (Hari=Vishnu).It is believed that king Bhagirath after years of penance brought ganges from heaven to which Hindu deities bring ashes of their ancestors or forefathers and dip it in Ganges to attain salvation .The stone called ‘Har Ki Pauri’ is believed to be the imprints of Lord Vishnu which the holy ganges always touches.

Hardwar was ruled by Mauryas and later by Kushan Empire. During the period of King Harshawardan, Huan Tsang gave Haridwar its name, as 'Mo-yu-lo' (Mayapur). Mayapur still exists with forts and three temples decorated with stone sculptures

More than Har ki Pauri (Gangadwara),other places or temples to see are Chandi Devi temple on Neel Parvat, Mansa Devi Temple on Bilwa Parwat, Dakhseswara Mahadevi temple in Kankahl, Doodhadhari Barfani Temple including idol of Rama-Sita and Hanuman, Sureshvari Devi Temple which is amidst of Rajaji National Park, Pawan dham, a temple which is made of glass pieces and Bharat Mata Mandir (a multi storey temple).Jairam Ashram describing Samudra manthan, one made of massive marble is another must see temple.

The transport is quite easy as Haridwar railway station is interconnected to major cities of Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai and others like Bhopal, Jabalpur etc The nearest Airport is Jolly Grant Airport situated about 35 kms from Dehradun.