Sarnath is about 10 kms. from Varanasi also is the place where Lord Buddha gave his first sermon to five of his companions( Kaundinya, Bashpa, Bhadrika, Mahanaman and Ashvajit ) in 500 B.C. The place has a number of Stupas (hemispherical domes) and monasteries. In the early days of Buddhism, Stupas were built to honor important events including Gautam’senlightenment to become Buddha .
The Tallest Statue of Lord Buddha at Sarnath India
Eighty feet tall statue of the Lord Buddha, which is the world’s tallest statue after the ones demolished in Afganistan’s Bamiyan valley . It took 14 years to construct this statue. The work on the statue was started in 1997 and it was unveiled in 2011. This standing statue of Lord Buddha is located in the premises of Thai Buddha Vihar in Sarnath also known as Mrigdayavan Mahavihar Society.. The construction of statue is said to have started as a gesture to protest the destruction of Buddhist statues in many parts of the world.
Statue of Lord Buddha at Sarnath
Located in the garden of the Thai Temple in Sarnath, the statue consists of 845 stones blocks each about two feet wide and three feet high and the head alone is 15 feet tall, There is a beautiful garden around the statue . Built in Gandhar style, the statue is placed on a Lotus symbolising the spread of religion from India to other parts of the world with the message of love and peace , The octagonal pedestal have engravings depicting four important Buddhist religious places, including Dhammek Stupa, Bodh Gaya and Lumbini . The total cost of construction was contributed by a number of Buddhist and non-Buddhist devotees across the world For more information contact in India + 91 9810506646 For callers outside India call + 44 7700093414 Office Contact (+05.30 GMT) 011 45725562 , 45725563 , 45725564 Email: promark@promarktravels.com Website : promarktravels.com Blog : promarktravels.com/blog
Sankar Gompa the official residence of the head of Gelukpa Sect of Buddhists in Ladakh The Kushok Bakula Renpoche he died in 2004 , this monastery is branch of Spituk Monastery
Sankar Gompa official residence Head of Gelugpa Sect. in Leh
The main entrance of Courtyard attracts the visitors for its beautiful decorations. The left wall is having a “Wheel of Life”, held by Yama. The other side is the Dukhang, decorated with paintings of Guardian of the Four Directions, a throne reserved for the head monk of monastery. This Buddhist monastery have fabulous collection of exquisite paintings and murals of the Guardian divinities of the Four Quarters of Heaven, the Old Man of Longevity, the Wheel of Life and Sakyamuni Buddha with his sixteen sages and thirty-five benevolent Buddhas. There is also statue of Avalokiteshwara Padmahari with 1,000 heads and arms and Yamantaka (God ofDeath). Sankar Gompa also treasures Kanshur, 108 volumes of Buddha’s teaching and idols of three Buddhas – Sakyamuni, the Present Buddha and Maitreya (Future Buddha).
Inside the Sankar Gompa
Please contact for more details and packages +91-9810506646 Email: promark@promarktravels.com website : www.promarktravels.com Blog : www.promarktravels.com/blog
Sri Kedarnath Dham is situated at a height of 3584 meters above the sea level on the head of river Mandakini surrounded by snow capped mountains , it is a plateu having the most popular Hindu pilgrimage in the Chardham. The temple here is dedicated to Lord Shiva and worshiped here of his back which is conical in shape. This place is accessible from April till October , rest of the year the idol is kept and worshiped at Ukhimath near Guptkashi . Out side the main entrance there is a big stone statue of Nandi Bull facing the temple , upon entering the hall there are statues of five Pandava brothers , Lord Sri Krishna , Vidharba the guard of Lord Shiva. It is said that one who pays the visit here and bows his head is relived of Sorrows , it was from here onward towards the Swargarohan the Pandwa were blessed and relived of guilt and sorrow of killing their relatives in the Mahabharata war.
Sri Kedarnath Temple main entrance
Legend
This land was once ruled by the King Kedar who is also father of Vrinda , she had worshiped for sixty thousand years , to honor him this region was called as Kedarkhand. It is said the Pandu the Pandva King died here while trying to love Madri .
When Bhim tried to stop the Lord Shiva who had disguised as bull had a fight with mace which hit the Lord Shiva , Bhim having guilt of hurting the Lord massaged the body with Ghee , today the pilgrims follow the ritual by applying the Ghee at the triangular Jyotirlinga along with offering of Bel leaves and milk in the puja .
Their existed a temple of Mahabharata time before this temple was constructed in Eight centenary by the Adi Shankracharya .
Adi Shankarachrya took samadhi at this place in Sri Kedarnath Dham
When to travel
This temple opens along with the other temples of Chardham on Akshya Tritiya and closes on Depawali for winters , mid June till August is monsoon period , there are land slides and roads blocks quite common and during this period journey is not recomended. What to see
The main place is the Sri Kedarnath temple , just behind it is the Adi Shankaracharya Samadhi , little above at a small distance on the left side of the temple is the Bhairo temple . Chorbari is a crystal clear snow water lake about a kilometer trek from Kedarnath with floating ice in the water. Vasuki Tal is 6 km at a height of 4150 meters in the snow caped mountains , one can have a beautiful view of Chaukhamba peaks from here. Where to stay
There are many guest houses and dharamshalas here but all are with basic facilities only. How to reach here
There are Buses and trains available up to Hardwar or Rishikesh connections from all over India , one can also reach Dehradun by air onward journey could be performed by buses, cars and jeeps , opening of Helicopter service is a big relief for old age people , the helicopter service is available till Kedarnath from Guptkashi ( Phata) and Dehradun . There is a good road till Gaurikund from here the 14 km trek can be done by walking or hiring the mules or palkis .
Delhi to Rishikesh 230 km
Rishikesh to Guptkashi 201 km
Guptkashi to Gaurikund 32 km
Gaurikund to Sri Kedarnath 14 km For more information and packages contact +91-9810506646 or email : promark2promarktravels.com Visit our website www.yatrachardham.com
Ladakh the beautiful landscape is one of the best places on earth unspoilt , nature at its best , crystal clear water lakes , snow-coveredpeaks of the great Himalayas the clear blue sky , the highest roads in the world , over one thousand-year old monasteries , snow desert , the double hump camel, the Indus river who has given birth to Indian civilization , age-old customs and the ever warm welcoming Ladakhi people who brave through the harsh weather throughout the year .
Ladhaki Shepherd Lady
Ladakh is the cold desert of India is accessible to the world through out the year by air , the land route is open from May to October when it is comparatively warm and the high passes from Kashmir the Zozi – la ( 3528 mtrs) and Fotu – la ( 4108 mtrs) are open and from Himachal little late and closes little early as the road passes through Rotang – la ( 3978 mtrs) , Baralacha – la ( 4892 mtrs.), Lachulung – la ( 5059 mtrs.) and Tanglang – la ( 5325 mtrs) .
One can visit Ladakh in Summers May to October to enjoy its beauty but if it is the festival period then the Ladakh is the best to visit following are the dates and festivals in the year 2012
The world-famous Backwaters are in the state of Kerala in the South of India, the nearest airport Nedumbassery is 25 km North of Cochin city. The backwaters of Kerala – meandering inland lakes networked by canals the network includes five large lakes – stretch to over 900 kms. man made and natural fed by 38 rivers covering almost half the length of Kerala state there are a number of towns and cities, which serve as the starting and end points of backwater cruises, freshwater from the rivers meets the seawater from the Arabian Sea, at Vembanad lake (Kayal) which is the longest lake in India , a barrage has been built which prevents salt water from the sea entering the deep inside, keeping the fresh water intact. Low surface than water level, Paddy fields around Kerala Back Waters
This fresh water is extensively used for irrigation purposes, there is rich unique aquatic life as well the leafy plants and shrubs, Palm trees grows alongside the shores, there are places where the paddy fields are below the water level (Kuttanad) and are surrounded by earthen embankments. The crops are grown on the low-lying ground and irrigated with fresh water from canal and waterways connected to Vembanad lake Boat trips across these tranquil stretches are an experience unique to Kerala. Large Kettuvalloms (Houseboats) which were used as grain barges to transport the rice from the fertile fields along the back waters were converted to accommodate tourists ,these boats are made of Jackfruit wood using the local available raw materials without using any metal nail, these are floating cottages with bedroom,dining area and private facilities, food is cooked on board mostly having Kerala flavor. Ketuvallams are motorized but cruise at a slow speed for smooth travel. All Ketuvallams have a generator and most bedrooms are air-conditioned, at night electricity is switched off and lanterns are provided to create a rural setting.
There are several cities along the banks of around 200 km Back Waters from where excursions can be taken best locations are Alleppy and Kumarakom the nearest airport is Cochin or Kochi which is 54 km to Alleppy and 76 Km. to Kumarakom, best place is Alleppy because quite and away from the mad crowds is the Marari beach white sand , neat clean and safe for swimming , the distance between the Vembnad lake and beach is hardly 5 km. all these small towns are now busy tourist destinations with all pocket budget guest houses, hotels and resorts.
In 1952 first prime minister of India Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru when visited Kerala was received by the Chundan Valloms the (snake boats) a boat race Vallam Kali was organised in the back waters, a Sliver Trophy which was sent by the Prime Minister since then became the annual function which is held during the Onam festival in the month of August in Alappuzha , other races are Champakulam Moolam Aranmula Uthrattadi Vallamkali , Kallada boat race, Payipad Jalotsavam and Indira Gandhi boat race .
Backwaters of Kerala are also called the Venice of East its soothing shoreline, beautiful beaches make it terrific. One may plan backwater tour anytime of the year, the best time for cruising is from October to March. Casual clothes in cotton are best suited for the backwater trip to Kerala journey through the lagoons is interesting, passing through sleepy villages, busy boat jetties and vibrant celebrations makes the trip a memorable one. For more details and packages contact + 91 9810506646 Office Contact 011 – 45725562, 63, 64 Callers from outside India + 44 7700093414 Email promark@promarktravels.com Website : promarktravels.com
Chinyalisaur in district of Uttarkashi is a small town in Uttrakhand 129 km from Rishikesh on Chamba to Gangotri road, it is just 34 km before the UttarKashi , there is shorter route from Dehradun to Suakholi on Mussurie Chamba road, the importance of this town is not only it is situated on highway to Gangotri but also it is the river Bhagirathi slows down and begins to forms the Tehri reservoir to Tehri Dam .
This place is surrounded by beautiful Himalayan peaks , town is habituated on both side of river Bhagirathi , the national highway NH94 and the airstrip are on the right bank of Bhagirathi. New Tehri is 34 Km from here and one can have a trip to the man-made massive dam where the old Tehri city is submerged in the deep waters of this dam , Chamba another beautiful hill station of Uttrakhand is about 42 km from here
This small town is identified by the state Govt to develop an airport for fixed wings aircrafts , a one km long airstrip exists here , as per state Govt. master plan , they are to develop high altitude airstrips to promote tourism in the state, Hiking and walking trails, camping venues and water sports will be developed around Chinyalisaur airstrip. Our operations of the helicopters to Yamunotri and Gangotri from here has reduce the travel distance and inconvenience of long journey by road to these places .
It was a special day, I had arrived from Jaipur to Delhi and was all set to depart for The Land of Gods and Goddesses, Uttarakhand. I was so excited in the train while travelling towards Delhi and couldn’t wait to start my journey. I reached Delhi and packed all my bags, took my camera, recharged all the batteries, emptied the memory cards and I was all set to leave. We left Delhi after lunch in our Scorpio Jeep driven by my father, who loves long drives especially in Himalayas, so I couldn’t even ask him for the wheel not even on the plain roads and spoil his ‘long drive‘. So I sat besides him and we departed from Delhi.
The Start of The Great Himalayas
Journey from Delhi to Haridwar was on NH-58 and that was our resting place, we spent a night there to begin our actual journey in the mountains as the plains end at Dehradun, in our original we had to take a road to Chamba but we took the road to Barkot, a longer route, we knew it’d take longer but we were excited to explore the other side too. There were beautiful waterfalls, bumpy broken roads, fallingrocks, landslides, rubble over the roads. One can never cross these roads on a low rider vehicle. We had our Scorpio so it was an ease for us. Although we had to survive the jerks and vibrations which felt like as if my backbone rifted apart all together. We went past Dehradun and the Rajaji National Park stopped on the way to have some tea and breakfast. Went past Mussourie and The Kempti Falls, those are really beautiful falls but the natural beauty seems to be getting destroyed by the people. We didn’t stop for a second there and carried our journey further and got on to NH-123 and were heading towards Barkot.
On NH-123
Near Kempti Falls, Mussourie
The Alternate Route
This was a really tiring journey and we all were getting irritated as we had taken a long route due to which we reached about 5 hours late. But this tiring journey was full of Green Mountains, Valleys, Lovely River Banks, Waterfalls and hardly any cars on the road. We reached Barkot and gave second thoughts to continue our journey after seeing the direction board in the picture below which said Yamunotri to the left and Gangotri to the right. Stopped for few seconds and discussed about it, we chose Gangotri as it was planned as it was already late. All this time my mother was praying to the god that, we reach safely to the destination and back home, we both (me and papa) were getting irritated from that too but didn’t pay any minute attention towards that and she was so scared all the time that she was reminding papa to blow horn at every turn that we drove through.
The Barkot Bend
The Last City: Uttarkashi
We were following River Bhagirathi all this time and were back on to NH-108 by entering into a tunnel which was built inside a mountain and lead directly to Uttarkashi, as the dark appeared slowly our average speed started declining. After Uttarkashi, there was no big city and we had to travel a long journey of about 75Kms to Harsil. After Uttarkashi, we were heading straight to Harsil, on the way we went past Maneri and the Maneri Dam Project which was built upon River Bhagirathi and the water was flowing out of the small gate at very high speed which was creating mist in the atmosphere and just stopped by to take some photographs, it was dark when we left Maneri. So with no further delay we moved on, the weather started to go down. I was just holding tightly to the handles and whatever I could hold onto to save myself from spinal pains.
Landscape along the River Bhagirathi
River Bhagirathi
The Maneri Dam Project at Maneri, Uttarakhand
It was so dark, we could hardly see anything besides the road and the oncoming traffic whose frequency was like one car in 20 minutes. Those 75 Kms felt as if we were never going to reach Harsil that night. These 75 Kms on the plains seem just an hour drive but in the mountains it takes about 3-4 hours approximately on broken roads with rocks and pebbles all over. It was okay till now as the car stereo was playing nice music, the stereo mouth fell off due to the jerks and refused to join back as it broke off. After that it was a total silence in the car and still 50 Kms were left. I was just staring at the dark and the tiny lights on the mountains blinking all over the place, these were all small villages settled all over the mountains.
The Route Map
Harsil
I was just watching the road and eventually we reached Harsil, our final destination for that day and we spent a night at nice cottages in The Harsil Retreat, owned by Mr Rajiv Mehta. We had dinner and went to sleep. It was really a tiring day but I didn’t felt anything by looking at the beauty of The Great Himalayas.
Harsil Landscape
Gangotri
Woke up early in the morning and had a bath with hot water, clicked photographs, had breakfast and departed for the sacred land Gangotri. The road from Harsil to Gangotri was plain with less landslides and rocks, it was clear at most places as it is maintained by the Army and Border Roads Organization. On the way to Gangotri, which was 25 Kms from Harsil and was a 1 hour drive, we saw the 10 rivers meeting into River Bhagirathi and a beautiful and is one of the deepest gorge in Asia and ‘one of its kind’ bridge which is built over this gorge. The vegetation was pine and deodar trees all over and we could see pine cones everywhere on the roads and the sideways. Finally we reached our final destination, Gangotri, The Origin of The Holy River Ganges
Anuj is currently pursuing his Engineering Degree in Computer Sciences and has a keen interest in travelling to different places round the year. He also writes blogs and articles in many online blogs. Connect with him on Facebook (htttp://www.facebook.com/anujrajput) and Twitter (@AnujRajput)
When friend Anil Rajput knew that I was planning on two options for this summer holiday, Conoor in Tamil Nadu and Leh, his shocking expression was ….”What comparison! You must go only to Leh!”.
I was desperate for a date with Leh for the last four years, but my travel team was giving me the most impossible rates and dates. Anil came to my rescue and made our dream-plan, a reality!
Our Delhi friend Anjali quickly decided to join us and more the merrier it was!
With a lot of anticipation spiced up, wife Jayashree, daughter Nishkamya and I set off from Chennai by the evening SpiceJet to Delhi. Night halt was at Anjali’s place and catching up with years and years of talk, we then hit the Delhi airport at 4am for the Go Air check-in. Prompt to take off, we had a very comfortable touchdown at the Kushok Bakula Rinpoche Airport at Leh, on the dot at 8.15 am. I am sure you are aware that it is the highest altitude commercial airport in India at some 3500 metres. Jayashree rightly quipped, “There is no great height for the plane to descend here at Leh!” … →
A white dome Stupa (Chorten) built on a Changspa, a steep hill, opposite the Leh Palace different in architecture from the Ladhakhi style gives a magnificent view at sunrise and sunset, it looks more beautiful at night illuminated in the white light. It was built by the Ladakh and Japanese Buddhists, Ladakhis offered voluntary labor, construction started in 1983 and it was inaugurated in August 1991 by His Holiness The Dalai Lama. It was built to promote world peace and prosperty and to commemorate the 2500 years of Buddhism.
[quote]The Bright Shanti Stupa at Leh[/quote]
Structure
It is built as a two level structure, a flight of stairs leads to the first level where a Dharmchakra (as in white strip of Indian national flag) with two deer on each side, features a central image of Lord Buddha in golden colour sitting on a platform turning the Dharmchakra wheel, the second level depicting the birth of Buddha, defeating of devils in meditation and death of Buddha along with many small images of meditating Buddha, all embossed in vibrant colours.
[quote]Various depictions of Lord Buddha’s life[/quote]
Location
Shanti Stupa is situated at a height of 4267 meters overlooking the Leh city, it gives a panaoromic view of surrounding snow capped mountains and the Leh city.
[quote]Shanti Stupa under the BIG bright cloudy Sky[/quote]
