Lesser Known Caves Of India- Aurangabad Caves

More often than not these stunning monuments are forgotten and only its sisters Ajanta and Ellora are widely visited by travellers. Carved between Sinhyachal and Satara range of hills, these caves and carvings are on par if not better than Ellora Caves. These monuments still have their virgin beauty intact. The series of 10 caves are split into two groups- eastern and western, a kilometer apart from one another. These caves were carved between the 2nd and 6th Century.

Climbing a fleet of steps and you reach the ticket counter, a short hike from the ticket counter leads you to these magnanimous series of caves. The panoramic views of the caves en-route are breathtaking and so is the view of Bibi Ka Maqbara with the city in the backdrop.

Cave 1 and 3 are the oldest of all the caves, Cave 1 is an unfinished monastery with pillars that stand completed and the ceiling of its verandah has collapsed. The weak nature of rock formation hindered large scale excavations.

Cave 3 is the grandest of the caves here, portraying a line of devotees kneeling down with folded hands worshiping Buddha, who is seated in preaching position.

The cave series of 6 to 10 are a kilometer away and you can spot some partially carved stupas. Feel free to walk into the cave and see the raw beauty of it and compare the scratch work of this cave with the elaborately carved and sculpted ones.

Cave 7 is the best cave among all the caves. The square sanctum at the center contains a sculpture of Lord Buddha seated on a lion throne in preaching mudra.

The most surprising aspect was a sculpture of Lord Ganesh, it was beautifully sculpted and highlights the fact that religions could co-exist in harmony. It's the attitude and not the religion that creates barriers or differences.

Most of the visitors end up seeing only Caves 1-5 so do ensure that you follow the trek path that leads to Caves 6-10 as they are equally astonishing. A good pair of trekking shoes and a day pack is a must.

We highly recommend that you don't miss these phenomenal monuments. You will be lost in time and still not feel exhausted as these caves are hardly crowded. We were here on a Saturday and were shocked to see only 8 other visitors. We really hope that they receive their share of due credit.

Thoonga Nagaram! A City That Never Sleeps- Madurai

This temple city is home to the iconic Meenakshi Amman Temple and several other grand temples and also the city where Silapathikaram one of the grand epics of Tamil literature came from. This city has lot of culture heritage and was considered a very important trade hub even in the ancient times. Legacy of Madurai the Meenakshi Amman temple was ransacked and demolished by Mughal invaders in the 14th century and restored to it's present day glory by Nayakkar family in the 16th century.

We fell in love with the beautiful age old monument Meenakshi Amman temple. This magnanimous temple has four entrances and at each entrance is a high raising Gopuram that is beautifully carved and brightly painted. There are intricate carvings of mythical creatures that took us back in time. The temple is dedicated to Meenakshi Amman and Lord Shiva. The temple walls are beautifully painted and how can one miss the brightly colored ceiling of the temple. The entire complex is supported by numerous pillars that are equidistant and placed with great precision.

Every pillar, wall and corner of this massive temple complex has elaborately carved monolithic mythical creatures and scenes from Hindu mythological epics. The sculptures in the temple depict the beauty of women by highlighting their features in an intricate manner. Big breasts, thin waist line and broad hip, all while staying in the realm of art. They were so precise in their carvings that they would create sculptures that were exactly how they saw women around them- voluptuous, highlighting their beauty and not creating a fake sculpture and expecting women to idolize it.

The other great attraction within the temple premises is the "One Thousand Pillar" mandapam aka "Aayiram Kaal Mandapam." this madapam has thousand pillars each again precisely placed with intricate carvings and paintings. The grandeur of this mandapam is enhanced by the sculptures with such minute details giving a feel that they might come to life any time. The mandapam has now been converted to an art museum with exhibits ranging from a 20 foot massive door that used to stand guard the temple to photographs to sculptures of various deities to antique coins. 

The main deity is Nataraja the cosmic dancer, however, the showstopper and the most puzzling aspect is a group of rock cut cylindrical pillars that greet you at the entrance. The puzzling aspect is if you places your ears on the pillar and knock the pillars you can hear unique musical notes, tunes from each pillar. These pillars seem to be hollow and each one creates a unique note.

The sacred pond within the temple premises is believed to be the testing ground for a new work of literature. Tirukkural by Tiruvalluvar was the piece that got the approval. Legend has is that no marine form of life exists in this pond and is considered very sacred. Walking around the pond offers a unique view point from where you have a view of the Golden Kalash or Gopuram above the main deities Shiva and Amman. To mark this spot the temple authorities have installed a copper plate.

The temple is open throughout the day however, the gates to the inner sanctum are open from 4 am to 12.30 pm and 4 pm to 9.30 pm. The age old structural engineering and water management are that effective that they still work flawlessly. Set aside at least a couple of hours to soak in the beauty of this ancient Indian monument. 

Digital cameras are prohibited inside the temple premises but mobile phones are allowed we failed to understand this logic. As you enter the lanes leading you to the temple shopkeepers pressurize you to leave your footwear and bags with them, free of any charges and in return would try to hard sell you their products. Please note that temple authorities have created safe deposit counters where devotees can leave their footwear and bags free of cost. 

Kudal Alazagar Perumal Temple, this extraordinary temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu is a couple of kilometers away from Meenakshi Amman temple. The sculptures on the Goparum at the entrance depict scenes from the epics - Ramayana and Mahabarata at various tiers. The massive walls and pillars of this incredible temple exquisitely portray the various incarnations of Lord Vishnu. The long and broad walkways have elaborate paintings depicting scenes from Hindu mythology. A chamber of the temple is dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi and the deity is beautifully carved.

As you enter the temple on the left do check out the elaborate carving on the wall behind a glass enclosure. This carving just blew our minds, it illustrates the Sun, Surya Bhagwan riding on a chariot pulled by 7 horses that depict 7 days of the week. Around the sun are 6 corners that depict different seasons and around them are the 12 sun signs. There are two serpents depicting Raghu and Kethu that stand guard on either side of the Sun. The serpent on the left has its tail curled outside denotes day and the one on the right with its tail curled inside denotes night. This carving was carved in ancient times before modern science, tool and gadgets, ultra powerful telescopes existed. This goes to prove the fact that our forefathers were extremely smart.

However, the sore part was concrete constructions within the temple premises eating up parts of this ancient wonder. Multiple AC vents have been drilled, ugly PVC pipes running around make the temple lose its charm. The temples is open all days from 4 am to 12 pm and 4 pm to 9 pm.

Mariamman Thepakolam Temple is built around a pond and is dedicated to the Hindu Goddess of rain- Mariamman. During Thaipusam, float festival a floating chariot goes around this temple and lights up the entire area. This festival commemorates the birth of King Thirumalai Nayak. Sadly, when we visited the pond it was absolutely dry and was being used as a cricket ground. The temple would have been an absolute fantastic site to see had the pond been filled with water. It is a perfect place to take a stroll for a relaxing evening. There are plenty of food carts around to make your day end with good food. 

Near Thepakolam is the Sri Muktheeshwarar Temple which is as old as Meenakshi Amman temple. This temple is very calm and peaceful and has some great architecture. As there was no Goparum for this temple, the temple constructed at the Tepokkalam serves as the Goparum for this temple. 

Nayakkar Mahal - This palace was built with the help of an Italian architect by King Thirumalai Nayak in 1636. The architecture was a combination of Italian, Dravidian and Islamic style and was built to be the most significant palace of South India. Though the exteriors of the palace were plain and simple the splendor interiors are worth watching. Unfortunately, very little of this palace remains now as King's grandson destroyed most of the palace structure.

Like many other beautiful churches St. Mary's Cathedral is a magnificent and eye catchy cathedral standing as a fine example of secularism practiced by our beautiful Country. The beauty of this cathedral draws you to this place, the architecture providing a touch of Roman and European style is a treat for the eyes. This church is a couple of minutes walk from Nayakkar Mahal. The school around the church adds a nice charming factor.

The perfect place to satisfy your hunger pangs is to head to "Modern Restaurant," a star attraction within this star city. This age old restaurant is now successfully run by their third generation. The legacy of this restaurant has still been kept intact, they ace in serving traditional vegetarian food to their patrons. This is the ideal place to treat your taste buds for breakfast, lunch or dinner. We recommend you try all three. The elaborate meals for lunch include chapati and korma, 4 different types of vegetable curries, rice, dal, dal powder, good amount of desi ghee, sambar, rasam, puli kolambu/vata kolambu, curd, more or buttermilk, pickle, appalam and dessert. When we dined we were served mysore pak as dessert that was drenched in ghee. After this sumptuous meal they served us a banana and healthy pan for easy digestion. This huge spread of meal is priced at only Rs. 80 per person.  To ensure the authentic traditional taste, they do not use any ready made masalas or artificial food colors or flavors. All masalas are handmade to perfection in traditional style even today.

If you are there for breakfast or dinner treat yourself with different varieties of dosas or classic upma. The korma, chutney and sambar compliment the tiffin very well. Though we are not big fans of idiyappam we fell in love with their masala idiyappam.  Also, do try out their jangiri sweet which is pretty famous in Tamil Nadu and you wont be disappointed . This place has seen a wide range of eminent guests such as Sir CV. Raman, Dr. Rajendra prasad, Nehru, and the Father Of The Nation himself Mohandas Karam Chand Gandhi.' This restaurant is on Netaji Road, walking distance from Meenakshi Amman temple.

We highly recommend "Jigardhanda Junction" outlet for their awesome Madurai special Jigardhanda. This sweet drink is a big hit and a specialty of Madurai city. This outlet is near 'Periyar Bus stand.' To beat Madurai heat keep yourself hydrated the Natural way and sip on tender coconuts that are available in abundance and your body will thank you a million times.

During our stay in Madurai we checked into Rani Mangamal Residency, this age old hotel now beautifully renovated with modern amenities is managed and run by a group of able people. This is a perfect budgeted hotel to stay in Madurai. The hotel offers spacious rooms with clean bath, 24 hour running water, satellite TV, free WiFi in the lobby and all of this at a super budgeted price. The Madurai Railway Station is right opposite the hotel. Despite the railway station being bang opposite the hotel, the thick walls managed to filter out all the chaos from the station or main road completely. The Periyar bus stand is just a few minutes walk, from where one can access most parts of Madurai. Meenakshi Amman temple is at walk-able distance from here. There are plenty of restaurants in the vicinity.

Madurai is a happening town and all parts of the city are easily accessible by public transport. Madurai is too hot a city even in the month of August so it would be a good idea to wear cotton clothes and carry a good pair of shades. Also, keep yourself hydrated to beat the heat as the heat is way too dry and more grilling than the heat you face when you travel up North.

Courtallam a perfect destination very close to Madurai.

Photo Tribute To Nalanda University

Nalanda- An acclaimed University of Ancient times

World's most prestigious and thriving university of Ancient India. It was a childhood dream come true to visit this magnificent first International Residential University that flourished for centuries. A center of learning and way to means for people who were in search of wisdom. People from across the globe flocked to this university in India to graduate in Astronomy, Math, Grammar, Logic, Theology, Meta Physics and Medicine. It is said that the library of Nalanda continuously burnt for three months and that the smoke was seen from far away distances. Despite the savage destruction left behind by the Mughal invaders they failed to wipe away the memory and learning that this place offered. This proves "Pen is mightier than the sword."

An archway of massive thick green trees welcome you to this esteemed site. The ruins of Nalanda comprises of several monasteries, residential quarters, temples and shrines. The entire complex is mesmerizing that beyond any doubt in its heydays, Nalanda university would have given the best of education to people from across the globe. It is sad to see such a glorious historic monument now in ruins. We stood there baffled thinking about millions of Indians who stand for several hours in long queues outside embassies of foreign countries in the hope of getting admission in colleges overseas. There was a time when we gave the World good quality education and now for several years India has been facing a brain drain crisis.

Almost all of the many monuments, temple and monasteries are breathtaking. As we entered the ruins, to our left was monastery 3, the post card of Nalanda University- the most imposing of all and was constructed in seven phases. There were four towers erected on the corners of which only two remain now. You can walk around this monument and on the other side are several pagodas and small stupa like structures. Parallel to this is another monument in ruins that showcases state of the art water harvesting system.

Backtrack the same route and the pathway leads to the remaining temples and monasteries. Almost every monastery has residential cells, raised platforms for the teachers to preach while some of them are equipped with wells and traditional ovens used for cooking.The drainage system and the well thought of ventilation shafts for sunlight are commendable.

Monastery 1 apart from providing the maximum number of artifacts during excavation  is one monastery that went through nine phases of construction. It has bed platforms and shelves for keeping books and other valuables. The destruction of the University by fire is visible in the cells of this monastery.

There is one monastery with vast number of stone pillars still standing in their original position serving more the purpose of a grand hall. Stay on the walkway and you will be led to the huge smelting furnace. Also, watch out for the small narrow passage that leads you to the temple and with this the tour of Nalanda pretty much comes to an end.

However, when you are existing the complex do not walk back the same route but take the trek path from the last temple shrine that leads you to the backside of all the monasteries. The highlight of this path is the elevated platform that offers breathtaking panoramic views of the ruins and also leads you to the most incredible ruin i.e. Temple no.2. Take a stroll around this temple to witness some of the most stunning and crisp stone carvings, portraying sculptures of gods and goddesses, Jataka stories, geometric patterns and even mermaids. Either our ancestors were big fans of fantasy or actually saw this for real. There are several pillars lying around this temple and each paints a unique story.

Sarai Mound concludes your visit to the ruins of Nalanda. This multi-storeyed Buddhist temple with large number of stupas and shrines was protected by a massive wall enclosure. The ruins in the sanctum suggest that the Buddha statue was around eighty feet high. Don't be too surprised if you find a monitor lizard giving you company while taking a stroll around.

ASI has done a wonderful job of maintaining the ruins well. An early morning visit to the ruins would be ideal, the monument is open to visitors from 9 am. Clean drinking water is made available and restroom facilities too are available. A day pack is an absolute must as it takes a minimum of two hours to see the entire ruins. There are hardly any options to stay or dine in Nalanda. If you are planning to stay over, Rajgir which is 12 km away would be the best place to halt and there are plenty of buses that ply from Nalanda to Rajgir.

Right opposite the ruins of Nalanda is the Nalanda ASI museum. It houses relics that were excavated from the ruins of Nalanda and other neighboring regions. The museum houses age old relics in absolute pristine condition. The sculptures of Buddha in various mudras, the striking calm sculpture of Shiva and Parvati and the sculpture of a fierce looking Goddess with seven hands wearing human skulls as ornaments around her neck are enthralling. A display of the simple tools used by the sculptors made us appreciate the immense talent that they had to convert rock into such amazing sculptures giving them so much life. There are two massive storage earthen pots at the entrance. The terracotta gallery exhibits elephant stamps that come with a lid, this was used to save time and make multiple copies or impressions. Other interesting displays that should not be missed are combs made of ivory and dices made of bones.