Dongargarh: Maa Bamleshwari Temple

DONGARGARH is a city of Rajnandgaon district in the state of Chhattisgarh, India. Dongargarh has been derived from two words: 'Dongarh' meaning 'mountains' and 'garh' meaning 'fort'.

Dongargarh is one of the prominent pilgrim places in Rajnandgaon. Popular of the landmarks is MAA BAMLESHWARI goddess temple on a hilltop which is 1,600 ft high. It has great spiritual importance and blessed with majestic mountains and ponds.

There are two ways of going up the 1600 ft the 1100 steps or the ropeway. The ropeway is an added attraction and is the only passenger ropeway in Chhattisgarh. The devotees flock these temples during Navratri.

Another temple at ground  level is  situated  about 1/2 kilometer from  the main  temple  complex. This temple  is known as CHHOTI BAMBLESHWARI. Shivji Temple and the temples dedicated to Lord Hanuman are also located here.

Dongargarh is located at a distance of 40 kilometers from district headquarter Rajnandgaon. Dongargarh has good road communication and taxis are available from Rajnandgaon to reach here. The nearest airport is at MANA (Raipur), 110 kilometers away and the nearest railhead is Dongargarh Railway Station.

Books:

The Gita: A New Translation of Hindu Sacred Scripture
The Secret: The Power
The Little Book of Hindu Deities: From the Goddess of Wealth to the Sacred Cow

DVD:

Understanding Hindu Traditions DVD
Story of India
Ramayana: The Complete Series
Sampurn Ramayana

The Victoria Memorial Hall, Kolkata

                                          The Victoria Memorial Hall, is a memorial building dedicated to Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom, which is located in Kolkata, India - the capital of West Bengal. It currently serves as a museum and a tourist attraction. It is an autonomous organization within the Government of India’s Ministry of Culture.

                         
                                          The memorial was designed by Architect Sir William Emerson. The design of the structure represents a fusion of British and Mughal architecture. White marbles were used in the construction of Victoria Memorial Hall and the building was inaugurated in the year 1921. The massive hall is 338x228 feet^2.

                         
                                         The massive Victoria Memorial stands enclosed within 64 acres of blooming gardens. It houses a museum containing a large collection of memorabilia relating to Queen Victoria and the British presence in India as well as other exhibits. The Memorial also contains a Royal Gallery housing a number of portraits of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and paintings illustrating their lives.

                               After India gained independence in the year 1947, certain additions were made to the Victoria Memorial. These additions formed National Leader's Gallery, containing the portraits and relics relating to Indian independence.

 

Books:

We Two: Victoria and Albert: Rulers, Partners, Rivals      

Queen Victoria

Queen Victoria: A Personal History

Becoming Queen Victoria: The Tragic Death of Princess Charlotte and the Unexpected Rise of Britain's Greatest Monarch

DVD:

 Victoria & Albert 

Monument Ave. 

KHAJURAHO:UNESCO World Heritage Site

The Khajuraho temples in Khajuraho, a town in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, located in Chhatarpur District, about 620 kilometres southeast of New Delhi, are one of the most popular tourist destinations in India. Khajuraho has the largest group of medieval Hindu and Jain temples, famous for their erotic sculpture. The Khajuraho temples has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The name Khajuraho, ancient "Kharjuravahaka", is derived from the Sanskrit words kharjura -- “date palm” and vahaka -- "one who carries".

The city was the cultural capital of “Chandela Rajputs”, a Hindu dynasty that ruled this part of India from the 10-12th centuries. The Khajuraho temples were built over a span of 200 years, from 950 to 1150.

The temples are grouped into three geographical divisions: western, eastern and southern. The whole area was enclosed by a wall with eight gates, each flanked by two golden palm trees. There were originally over 80 Hindu temples, of which only 25 now stand in a reasonable state of preservation, scattered over an area of about 20 square kilometers.

The Khajuraho temples are made of sandstone. The builders didn't use mortar: the stones were put together with mortise and tenon joints and they were held in place by gravity. This form of construction requires very precise joints. The columns and architraves were built with megaliths that weighed up to 20 tons.These temples of Khajuraho have sculptures that look very realistic and are studied even today.

Today, the temples serve as fine examples of Indian architectural styles that have gained popularity due to their explicit depiction of sexual life during medieval times.

Khajuraho temple offers a well-made light and sound show every evening. The show is about an hour long and covers the history, philosophy and the art of sculpting of these temples. It is held in the open lawns in the temple complex.

Books:                                                                                                       
Khajuraho (Monumental Legacy Series)
The Hindu Temple: Deification of Eroticism
Khajuraho: With Latest Discoveries
The Love Temples of Khajuraho: A Memoir of Love, Lust, and Exotic Places 
DVD:                                                                                                           
Khajuraho - The Tale of Love (Original Hindi Version With English Subtitle) - Region Free DVD
Divine Temple. Khajuraho. Bollywood DVD 
Travel with Barry & Corinne- India Far North
Monument Ave. 

MAHATMA GANDHI SETU:Longest single river bridge in the world.

Mahatma Gandhi Setu : A bridge over the river Ganga, was the longest river bridge in India. It connects Patna in the south to Hajipur in north. It was inaugurated in May 1982 by the then Prime Minister, Mrs Indira Gandhi.
Its length is 5,575 metres (18,291 ft). which makes it was one of the longest bridges in the world. There are 48 pilers to this bridge.

 

This bridge was built by Gammon India Limited . It consists 46 spans of 121 metres (397 ft) each and 2 spans of 63 metres (207 ft) at each end. The deck provides for a 7.5 metres (25 ft) wide two lane roadway for IRC class 70 R loading with footpaths on either side. The cantilever segmental construction method is adopted to construct this mega bridge. 650 million or 65 crore (at 1972 prices of India) rupees were spent on constructing this bridge.

• Popularly known as Ganga Setu, It is the longest single river bridge in the world.
• The Indian Postal Department issued a commemorative postage stamp on Landmark Bridges Of India: Mahatma Gandhi Setu of denomination 0500Paise on 17 August 2007.
• Currently this is part of national highway19.
• Before the bridge was constructed, people who wanted to go to north of Bihar, had to cross the river using boats or small ships or steamers or take a longer rail route. 

Books:                                                                                                                   

Gandhi An Autobiography: The Story of My Experiments With Truth

Great Soul: Mahatma Gandhi and His Struggle with India

Ganga: A Journey Down the Ganges River

Ganga: The River that Flows from Heaven to Earth