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Showing posts with label kund. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kund. Show all posts

Tuesday, 15 November 2011

Har Ki Pauri


Hindi: हर की पौडी़, हरिद्वार - CLICK TO SEE HINDI DESCRIPTION

हरिद्वार मे अधिकतर लोग हर की पौडी़ पर ही स्नान करते है। कहा जाता है की इसी जगह पर अमृत गिरा था! यह स्थान भारत के सबसे पवित्र घाटों में एक है। इस घाट को ब्रह्मकुण्ड के नाम से भी जाना जाता है। माना जाता है की राजा श्वेत ने हर की पौड़ी में भगवान ब्रह्मा जी की पूजा की और राजा की तपस्या एवं भक्ति से प्रसन्न होकर ब्रह्मा जी ने उन्हें दर्शन दिए और तब से हर की पौड़ी के जल को ब्रह्मकुण्ड के नाम से भी जाना जाता है। हर की पौडी़ में स्नान करने से समस्त पाप धुल जाते हैं।

सूर्यास्त के समय यहां नियमित रूप से गंगाजी की आरती की जाती है और लोग उस समय नदी में दीप दान करते हैं। गंगा नदी मे प्रवाहित किए जाने वाले यह दीपक एक अलौकिक दृश्य उत्पन्न करते हैं। गंगा नदी में बहते असंख्य दीपों की आभा देखते ही बनती है यह बहुत ही रमणीय दृश्य होता है।

Location: In Haridwar, Uttarakhand
Famous For: Being the point where the Ganges enters plains

One of the most famous and most visited sites of Haridwar, Har ki Pauri is considered as one of its five main holy sites. It is believed to be the sacred place where Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu, two great Hindu Gods, appeared in the Vedic era. This place is considered equivalent to the Dashashwamedh Ghat in Banaras, in religious terms. It is also said that Brahma, the Hindu God of Creation, performed a yagna at the Har ki Pauri. The ghat is also said to have the holy footprints of Lord Vishnu.

Har ki pauri is believed to be the exit point of the river Ganges from the mountains and its entry into the plains. A dip in the holy water of the ghat is said to relieve a person of all his sins. The place is surrounded by some ancient and some newly build temples. Throughout the year, religious rituals like 'upanayan' or the initiation ritual, 'mundan' or the head tonsuring ritual, 'asthi visarjan' or immersion of the ashes of the dead and 'shraddha' or prayers appeasing one's ancestors take place here.

Har ki pauri is always crowded with devotees and priests, offering prayers to the Sun God and the holy Ganges. This place is the perfect destination for people deeply in love with religion, philosophy and spiritualism. The auspicious fair of Hindus, the Kumbh mela, is held at Har ki Pauri, after every 3 years. This sacred ghat was built on the bank of Ganges, by King Vikramaditya, in the memory of his brother Bhartrihari. Har ki pauri is famous for Ganga Aarti, a holy ritual of offering prayers to the Ganges.

Ganga Aarti takes place on the ghat in the evening, after sunset. A group of Brahmans hold huge fire bowls in their hands and offer their holy mantras to river Ganges, Shiva - the Hindu God of destruction, Surya - the Sun God and the entire Universe. The devotees then offer flowers and earthen lamps - diyas - to river Ganges, in order to pay due regards to their ancestors in heaven. The scenario at Har ki pauri at the time of Ganga-Aarti is mesmerizing.

Har Ki Pauri is the place where the divine nectar fell from celestial Kumbh. The Kumbh mela is held here (last held in 1998, next in 2010). The holy river Ganga, enters Brahmakund from one side and exits from the other. Though the water here is around waist-high, one has to be very cautious while bathing on the Ghats since the flow is swift and speedy. Chains and rails have been provided to enable devotees to catch on safely while they take a holy dip. Famous temples - Ganga Mandir and Haricharan mandir are also located here.

Har Ki Pauri gets its name from the feet (Pauri) of lord (Hari). Vishnucharanpaduka, the footprints of the Lord, are believed to be imprinted on the wall beneath the waters of Ganga here and with the guidance of a priest, it is also possible to touch it.

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Tuesday, 8 November 2011

Gauri Devi Temple, near Gauri Kund

The land of uttranchal is best known for its various Pilgrim places and Gaurikund is one such place. Situated at a distance of 5 kms from Son Prayag this place of worship attracts thousand of tourist from different corners of India and the world to play homage to their holy gods. Devotees take a holy dip in the kund before heading towards Gauri Devi temple. This holy desire makes Gaurikund tours auspicious for every devotee.


The temple is dedicated to goddess Parvati who meditated here to attain Lord Shiva's attention. Gauri is another name for the goddess Parvati who is Lord Shiva's consort. The place Gaurikund is also named after the goddess.
Gaurikund is the trekking base to Kedarnath. The village has many hot water springs and a temple dedicated to the goddess Gauri. The tours to Gaurikund take you to a 14 km trek from Gurikund to Kedarnath which is one the 12 Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva in India .

Ponies, horses and dandies are also available for some travelers who find it difficult to walk the uneven terrain. Gaurikund is connected to Rishikesh, Kotdwara, Dehra Dun and other major towns nearby by bus. The best time for the tours to Gaurikund is from May to October.

There is a hot sulphuric spring where people wash themselves and then visit the Triyuginarayan. There are a number of tours starting from Gaurikund such as Gaurikund to Kedarnath, Gaurikund to Gandhi Sarovar and Gaurikund to Vasukital trek.

While on a tour to Gaurikund you can stay at some of the hotels there which provide you with decent lodging and boarding including the tasty meals. The best time to plan the tour to Gaurikund would be from July to November. So take a spiritual tour to Gaurikund and get a divine experience for life.





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Tuesday, 11 October 2011

Durga Kund, Varanasi

Durga temple, also known as the "monkey temple" is one of the important temples of Varanasi. This temple is dedicated to Goddess Durga. The Durga temple was built in the eighteenth century. A Bengali Maharani built the Durga temple in Nagara Style (the North Indian style of temple architecture). It is stained red with ochre and has a multi-tiered shikhara (spire). The Durga temple is situated on a rectangular tank, called the Durga Kund. According to the Puranas, Goddess Durga has kept this place for many centuries and protects the holy city, Varanasi, from the South.


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According to legends, the present statue of Goddess Durga was not made by man but appeared on its own in the temple. The Durga temple is also called Monkey temple because of the presence of large number of monkeys. In Hinduism, Durga is represented as the embodiment of shakti or female power, clad in red, riding a tiger and fully armed with Shiva's trident, Vishnu's discus and a sword. Non-Hindus can enter the courtyard of the Durga temple but not the inner sanctum. Thousands of Hindu devotees visit the Durga temple during Navratri and other auspicious occasions.


How To Reach Varanasi

Varanasi is the cultural capital of India and the melting pot of Indian civilization. Varanasi or Benaras has a well-developed transport network and is well connected to all the major Indian cities and states by air, road and rail.

By Air
Varanasi is well connected and accessible to major Indian cities and tourist spots. There are daily domestic flights to and from Varanasi to several cities in India. Apart from the state owned Indian Airlines, there are many private air taxi operators that offer their services from Varanasi to other Indian cities. In fact, the daily flights on Delhi-Agra-Khajuraho-Varanasi route are quite popular among the tourists.

By Rail
Since Varanasi lies in the heartland of the North Indian plains, it is well connected to Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and other parts of India. There are two railway stations in Varanasi, the Kashi Junction and the Varanasi Junction (also known as Varanasi Cantonment). Rajdhani Express from Delhi or from Calcutta passes through Varanasi too. One can also catch trains from Mughalsarai, just 10 km south of Varanasi.

By Road
Situated in the flat Ganga plains, Varanasi has a good network of roads. frequent public and private buses and road transport to all the major towns of Uttar Pradesh and nearby areas.