Tag: bucketlist

  • Thiksey Monastery – A Lighthouse of Buddhism in Ladakh

    Thiksey Monastery – A Lighthouse of Buddhism in Ladakh

    Ladakh is one of the beautiful regions of India. And Buddhism is an integral part of Ladakhi life. There are many Gompas (monasteries) scattered all across the region. Today we are visiting one of the glorious and important Gompa of Ladakh. Thiksey Gompa, situated on top of the hill in Thiksey near Leh. This monastery is attached to the Gelug sect of Tibatian Buddhism.

    Something from the history of Thiksey

    Founder of Gelug sect tasked one of his students, Jangsem Sherab Zangpo, with seeking permission of the King of Ladakh to spread the teachings of Gelug Buddhism in Ladakh. Soon he reached the King with the message and gifts from the founder of Gelug sect. King was pleased with the gifts. He directed his minister to help to set up a monastery of Gelug sect in Ladakh. This is how the first monastery was built in Stagmo village. 

    Legend of the Thiksey tells a story of start of Thiksey Monastery. Once Sherab with his disciple Palden Zangpo was performing sacred rituals of torma offerings. Suddenly, two crows appeared from somewhere and took away the offerings. Palden and other disciples went on the lookout for torma offerings. Soon after, they reached Thiksey. As soon as they reached Thiksey, they found out that crows had put the tormas on a rocky outcrop in perfect orders and in an undisturbed condition. Considering this as a divine direction, Palden decided to build the monastery at this place. And this is how Thiksey monastery came in existance.

    Glory of the Thiksey monastery

    Situated at an altitude of 3600 meters in the Indus valley, Thiksey Gompa is a huge twelve storey complex. It houses many buddhis items like stupas, wall paintings, thangkas (fabric paintings), weapons, sculptures, etc. Buildings in the complex are in ascending order on a hill slope and have a good spacing between them. This monastery shows an architectural resemblance with the Potala Palace in Lhasa. As a result, Thiksey Gompa has title of “Mini Potala”. This house of 60 lamas is red, ochre and white in color. This is a fort monastery of a Central Tibatian Pattern. 

    Maitreya buddha Thikse Photo by Redtigerxyz Copyrights CC BY-SA 3.0

    The monastery has a temple erected to commemorate the visit of the 14th Dalai Lama to the Thiskey Gompa. The temple houses a 15 meter high statue of Maitreya Buddha. This is the largest statue of Maitreya Buddha in Ladakh. Generally, we find Maitreya Buddha in a standing position or seated on a high throne. However, the statue in Thiksey is an unusual depiction of Maitreya seating in a lotus position. Shilp Guru Nawang Tsering of the Central Institute of Buddhist Studies (Leh) guided the local artists to make this statue in clay, copper and gold paint. In addition to this temple, there are temples of goddess Tara and several guardian divinities including Cham-spring – the protector deity of Thiksey.

    Recently, the Archeological Survey of India completed the activities of restoration the monastery. However, it created some controversies. Hence, they achieved a balance to the restoration and renovation works to retain the old order in consonance with the new works.

    Glimpse of Thiksey
    • Front of the Thiksey Monastery Photo by Caesardeka Copyrights CC BY-SA 3.0
    • Shakyamuni Buddha in inner sanctum of the assembly hall Photo by Redtigerxyz Copyrights CC BY-SA 3.0
    • Thiksey Monastery Gompas Photo by Anilsh59 Copyrights CC BY-SA 4.0

    Festivals

    Monastery celebrates its annual festival from the 17th to 19th day of the ninth month of the Tibetan calendar (October–November). People perform sacred mask dances as a part of the rituals. Villagers from all over the Ladakh gather at the base of Thiksey monastery and trade their goods during this festival.

    I am participating in the A2Z challenge with Blogchatter and this is my take on the ‘T’ challenge. “T is for the Thiksey Monastery, Ladakh”. You can find my other posts from this challenge here.

  • Fort Kochi ~ a cluster of colonial legacy

    Fort Kochi ~ a cluster of colonial legacy

    India has a very diverse culture with a wide range of languages, landscape and many other things. Along with that, many foreign cultures also mingled and mixed with Indian culture because of the reasons like forced migration, Turkish and Mughal invasions, colonial rule, etc. Today we are visiting a legacy left behind by colonizers on the coast of Malabar. Fort Kochi, a cluster of colonial legacy…

    Story time:

    Water colour painting of Fort Kochi by unknown artist C. 1800

    Back in the days, when the Rajah of Kochi was ruling, a Portuguese ship landed on his shore. Visitors helped the host king in the war with Samoothiri of Kozhikode. To show his gratitude for the help, Rajah of Kochi allowed Portuguese to build the Fort Emmanuel at the coast of Kochi. They settled in and around the Fort and possessed the land for nearly 160 years. They also built a wooden church which was subsequently rebuilt as a permanent structure. That’s today’s  St Francis Church. 

    One legend also talks about a relation with China dating back to the 14th century. When chinese arrived in the region they felt it was like home and called it “Co-Chin” – meaning “Like China”. They installed Chinese fishing nets which are a common site in Kochi. However, local old Malayalam name for the nerve town of Cohin is ‘Maadan-cherry’ or ‘Mattoncherry’

    You can’t miss these in Fort Kochi:

    I remember my childhood visit to Cochin and seeing those gigantic Chinese fishing nets. However, back then, we hadn’t been to this area. Houses here are the mix of Portuguese, Dutch and British architecture credited to the colonial rule of over 3 centuries. St Francis Church is one of the National Monuments. Once it was the burial place of Vasco da Gama. There’s a long walkway along the coast. You will not miss this one pretty unique and iconic site of two rusty steam boilers on this beach.

    • St Francis Church
    • Walkway on Kochi beach
    • Work by Sue Williamson (Fort Kochi Bianale) Photo by Jenny Mackness
    • Mattancherry church
    • Chinese Fishing Net, Photo by Amit Rawat
    • Steam boilers in Fort Kochi, India
    • Steam boilers in Fort Kochi, India
    Glimpse of Fort Kochi

    However, if you can match the dates of your trip, you definitely should check out the Fort Kochi Biennale started in the year 2012. It is an international exhibition of contemporary art housed in various venues all across area. This COVID-19 pandemic has postponed the fifth edition of biennale twice and is now set to be hosted in November 2021. This could be the best opportunity to visit Fort Kochi and enjoy the colonial vibes of the place if we have cleared through the pandemic.

    For now, let’s stop here for a while before continuing our journey of Incredible India. I will see you tomorrow. Till then, take care and stay safe!

    I am participating in A2Z challenge with Blogchatter and this is my take on day 6 challenge. “F is for the Fort Kochi, Cochin”. You can find my other posts from this challenge here.

  • Edakkal caves: a connection to the ancient world

    Edakkal caves: a connection to the ancient world

    Indian subcontinent witnessed the rise and fall of ancient civilizations. Main action of those civilizations were found in the North-Western parts of the subcontinent in and around Sindhu Valley at locations like Harappa, Mohenjo Daro and Kalibangan etc. Our today’s destination is the proof and the connection to the ancient world dating even further back than Indus Valley civilization. Edakkal caves in Waynad, Kerala are the link between today’s world and the period of Neolithic people. 

    Edakkal caves are ‘rock shelter’ kind of caves. A large boulder is straddling upon a fissure forming these caves. Even the name ‘Edakkal’ literally means ‘a stone in between’.

    Story time:

    As per the legend, Edakkal caves are formed because of the arrows shot by Lav and Kush, sons of Lord Sri Ram. However, credit of the recent discovery of these caves goes to Fred Fawcett, the then Superintendent of Police of the Malabar district. In 1890, he was on one of his hunting trips to Waynad district. He stumbled upon this rock-shelter and discovered it to be the treasure of petroglyphs.

    What’s so cool about it?

    The only site in South India where you can find the petroglyphs carved by Neolithic people. You can reach the caves after a short trek through Ambukutty Mala, a mountain in western ghats. These caves are in the form of two chambers at two levels. The lower is a smaller one with about 210 sq. ft. and 10 m high, while the upper chamber is about 2100 sq. ft. with 18 m high roof.

    Oldest petroglyphs found in these caves are approximately from 6000 BCE. This is a strong evidence of a presence of highly civilized prehistoric settlements in the area. Recently, the State Archeological Department of Kerala conducted a study of the caves in 2009. During this study, they found around 400 signs which depicted the probable connections with Indus Valley civilization. Most important motif found in caves was “a man with a jar cup”. Along with these, there are some engravings in Tamil and Brahmi scripts which are pretty recent in comparison with 8000 years old petroglyphs.

    Let’s appreciate this connection with our very ancient ancestors and halt here for the day. Tomorrow will be one more exciting destination to visit and enjoy. Till then, sayonara…

    I am participating in the A2Z challenge with Blogchatter and this is my take on day 5 challenge. “E is for the Edakkal Caves, Waynad District”. You can find my other posts from this challenge here.

  • Dharur Fort: Gem from an unexplored area

    Dharur Fort: Gem from an unexplored area

    It’s a second leg of our Incredible India!!! bucket-list journey after first Sunday break. Today we are visiting a historic place which stands witness to a very large part of our history. We are visiting an old fort of Dharur (धारूर) which is in Latur district of the state of Maharashtra. This is a gem from a comparatively unexplored area of Marathwada.

    I would like to mention a very amazing treasure trove of information about forts in Maharashtra at the very beginning of this post, TreKshitiZ. You will find very nicely documented, indexed information on their site. I don’t remember when I stumbled upon this site for the first time, but I have been using it at least for a decade now whenever I need any information about Maharashtrian forts. Credit for the photos which you will see in this post goes to them. 

    Story time:

    Back in the days of Satvahanas, Dharur rose to become an important market town on a major road to Satvahana capital city, Paithan. The Rashtrakuta dynasty followed the Satvahanas and ruled the region. Understanding the vitality of Dharur as a market town, they built a fort called “Mahadurg” for its protection. They just piled stones on top of eachother and built battlements and walls. 

    Subsequently, Kalyani Chalukyas, Devgiri Yadavas and Bahmani Sultanate ruled the region. After the fallout of the Bahmani Sultanate in five different factions, this particular region came under the influence of Barid Shah of Bidar. This region witnessed frequent battle action during the volatile period that followed after that. Baridshahi of Bidar succumbed to this volatility, and Adilshah gained control over Dharur. 

    Kishwarkhan from Adilshah court constructed a new fort at the same place of the Mahadurg using stones of the old one in 1567 CE. This is the fort which still stands the ground. Just a couple of years after that, Nizamshah took charge of the place in 1569 CE and in 1630-31, Mughals took control of Dharur. 

    Later it fell in the hands of Nizams of Hyderabad and remained in their control except a brief period of Maratha rule till the accession of Hyderabad principality to the union of India.

    Panorama of Dharur Fort (Photo courtasy: TreKshitiZ)

    What not to miss:

    Dharur Fort has a straight access from Dharur town as both of them are at the same level. However, the fort has a natural protection of the valley from the remaining three sides. This is a very unique combination in itself. 4.2 m wide and 4.5 m deep mote secures the side with straight access.

    There are two walls protecting the fort with battlements at regular intervals to mount the defances. One of the battlements houses the mint started by Mughals. As a memorial to the capture of Dharur fort, they issued a coin. This mint produced Mughal coins for almost the next hundred years. There are two major water tanks with the names of Godi Dindi (गोडी दिंडी) and “Khari/Solapur Dindi” (खारी/सोलापूर दिंडी). There is a dysfunctional “Hamam” with decorative water faucets. We can see a few guard rooms, a couple of mosques, a temple and ruins of various palaces in this fort. Fort also houses a few Percian inscriptions scattered around

    Fort was inhabited till the Indian Independence. As a result of this, it’s in a pretty decent condition. Marathwada region is not famous for tourism but this fort is a gem from this unexplored region. You can stay in the town of Ambejogai or Parali Vaijanath. Both of these are important pilgrimage sites of Hinduism and have good accommodation facilities. Please plan to visit this place and share the word about this.

    Photo courtasy: TreKshitiZ

    Adisjournal or me personally don’t have any claims of copyright over the photos you see in the post. I am a fan and frequent user of a wonderful trekshitiz.com to which these images belong. 

    I am participating in the A2Z challenge with Blogchatter and this is my take on day 4 challenge. “D is for the Dharur Fort, Latur District”. You can find my other posts from this challenge here.

  • Looking forward to 2018

    2018-Reflections

    This is the time of the year when I sit, and look back at the year which is passing by, and set the direction for which I would like to walk in next year. 2017 has been a good year in general. There are quite a few highlights on the work front, but on the creative front, this was the first year when I successfully completed a campaign. Yes, I survived April A to Z challenge with the support of my amazing community of Blogchatter. Then followed an amazing experience, My Friend Alexa: Season 2. So when I look forward to 2018, these two things are definitely going to be on my 2018 agenda.

    So guys, let’s begin.

    1. April A to Z: Because of the successful year of 2017 at April A to Z, I am for sure going to take the challenge again in 2018. I was totally skeptical about the challenge this year as it was my first attempt at dedicated, contentious attempt of blogging for a month.  So I had kept no rules for me this time. Writing every day was the goal. Now for 2018, I want to put some higher and tougher target for me.
    2. My friend Alexa: Guys at Blogchatter, please let’s have the September blogging campaign again. That gave me a strong boost as a blogger. I so much want to be a part of it in 2018 too.
    3. 50 Books in a year: One thing I miserably failed in 2017 was “100 books challenge” I couldn’t reach even 20. So in next year, I am putting a goal of 50 new books which I will start in 2018 plus the half read which I am currently reading. You can check how 2017 has been for me as far as reading is concern on this Goodreads link
    4. Vacation time: I can’t even remember when was the last proper long vacation I had. In 2018 I so badly wish to have a 10 day, amazing vacation where I want to visit some new city. Solo trip to a new city, where I can just explore as much as I can.
    5. Pick the rhythm again: I have been planning to pick up the rhythm instrument again for a long time. I used to learn tabla for around 3-4 years in my school days. But now I want to venture in either cajón or Kanjira. I am still figuring out which one I should choose. But in 2018, I am surely looking forward to taking up that journey again.

    So this is my 5 pointer checklist for 2018. When in the last week of December 2018, I will be sitting again to take a final look at this list, I so wish and dream that I will be ticking off all the 5 points.

    What you guys are planning for? Do write it in the comments, Feel free to share and subscribe to the blog so you won’t miss any of my writing which is coming up in 2018… Wish you all a happy, healthy new year. Have a blast on 31st. See you next year…