Bhadkeshwer Mahadev Temple, Dwarka,

Bhadkeshwer Mahadev Temple, Dwarka, Gujarat, Incredible India

Hathisingh Jain Temple Ahmedabad

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Hathisingh Na Dera 

Hathisingh Jain Temple Information

This gorgeous and grand temple was built by Sri Hathee Singh, who was a rich Jain merchant and dedicated the temple to Dharmnath who is the 15th Tirthankara of Jains. The temple is known for its grandeur and it is in fact completely made up of white marble. 

Hathi Singh Temple Ahmedabad

The temple is situated at the Delhi Gate in Ahmedabad and is one of the most revered placed to visit especially for the Jain community. The temple was built in the year 1850 and has amazing work done on the marbles. All these marbles are said to have been bought from Rajasthan. The temple is famous for its intricate carving and detailed figurines. The temple has been made in a painstaking manner and is extremely huge in terms of its area. The temple can accommodate around 3000 people and is 350 feet high. The temple is two storied in structure. It is said that the idols of the Jain Tirthankara on the occasion of his birthday, is decorated with ornaments made out of brilliant stones which are precious in nature. Thousands of devotees tend to throng the place for a glimpse as well. 

Apart from the main shrine, the courtyard consists of many pergolas in a row, which is made around the courtyard. There are 52 shrines other than the main one, and are dedicated to each Tirthankara of the Jains. It consists of exquisite carvings. The temple is known to have been constructed keeping in mind the architectural pattern of Dilwara Jain Temples of Rajasthan.

Bojjannakonda - Sankaram

State : AndraPradesh
Nearby Location : Vishakhapatnam 
How to Reach : 


Bojjannakonda and Lingalakonda are two Buddhist sites which exist on adjacent hillocks near a village called Sankaram. It is located at about 45 km from Vishakhapatnam and just a few kilometers from Anakapalle. The sites are believed to date between 4th and 9th Century A.D, that was when at Sanakaram (Sangharam as it was called then) when the 3 phases of Buddhism (Hinayana, Mahayana, and Vajrayana) flourished.

Sankaram, a small village, is situated about a mile to the east of Anakapalli in the Visakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh. Within a short distance to the north of the village are two hills, one on the east called Bojjannakonda and the other on the west called Lingalakonda both surrounded by paddy fields. Both the hills contain numerous monolithic stupas, rock-cut caves, chaityas and monasteries forming one of the most remarkable Buddhist establishments in Andhra Pradesh during the period of 4th to 9th Century CE. The name of the village Sankaram is evidently a corruption of Sangharama(Boudha-arama) as these Buddhist establishments are generally known.

Bojjannakonda

This is the eastern hill covered with a large group of monolithic stupas surrounding the rock-cut platforms of the Maha stupa The dome of the stupa is found constructed of brick.
Groups of rock-cut and brick stupas and small chaityas surround this stupa. In two of the brick stupas, stone relic caskets in the form of miniature stupas were found. There is also a stone [Linga being the name locally applied to the stupa].An Image of the Goddess Hariti is found at the foot of the hill as per the archaeological sources.^[1]
In all, on this hill [Bojjannakonda], there are six rock-cut caves of which some have sculptured panels. In general, each panel consists of a seated Buddha and attendants. There are also Terraced Chaitya Griha's present towards North of the Maha Stupa. These form the monastery for the Buddhist monks.

Lingalakonda

The western hill is known as Lingalakonda is covered with a large number of rock-cut small stupas form the shape of a ridge. Numerous antiquities were recovered during the excavations conducted by Mr. Alexander Rea in 1907-08 on both the hills.
During Excavations^[2] From this area pottery, coins of gold, copper and lead; seals, terracotta inscribed tablets, terracotta beads, and terracotta figures, One gold coin, Some copper coins and only one lead coin were recovered as per the archaeological sources.
As Buddhism began to spread, many learning centres and aramas for the monks were set up in various regions. They can also be seen at Thotlakonda, Bavikonda, Pavurallakonda around Vishakhapatnam. They all flourished around 3rd century BCE to 3rd century CE, but then gradually faded out, probably due to the revival of Hinduism.
Buddhist monks used to worship on the hill 2,000 years ago. It was originally known as Buddhuni konda (hill of the Buddha) but it came to be known as ‘Bojjannakonda' in course of time. Vaisakha Pournami is also celebrated ona large scale here at Bojjannakonda.
The Indian National Trust for Arts and Cultural Heritage (INTACH)has already appealed to the authorities to ensure better protection of Buddhist sites by taking up the declaration of Bavikonda, Thotlakonda, Pavurallakonda and Bojjannakonda as heritage sites by UNESCO. This will not only pave the way for steady flow of funds but also generate employment opportunities for the locals.


check the some photographs of this Place below:Photographs of SankaRam Buddist Tourist Attraction click here >>: Photo <<

Some other Buddhist Site nearby Sankaram: 

New Tehri

पर्वतों के बीच स्थित यह जगह काफी खूबसूरत है। हर वर्ष काफी संख्या में पर्यटक यहां पर घूमने के लिए आते हैं। यह स्थान धार्मिक स्थल के रूप में भी काफी प्रसिद्ध है। यहां आप चम्बा, बुदा केदार मंदिर, कैम्पटी फॉल, देवप्रयाग आदि स्थानों में घूम सकते हैं। यहां की प्राकृतिक खूबसूरती काफी संख्या में पर्यटकों को अपनी ओर खिंचती है।

हवाई अड्डा
सबसे नजदीकी हवाई अड्डा जोलीग्रांट हवाई अड्डा है। टिहरी जोलीग्रांट से 93 किलोमीटर की दूरी पर है।
रेल मार्ग
ऋषिकेश सबसे नजदीकी रेलवे स्टेशन है। ऋषिकेश से टिहरी 76 किलोमीटर दूर स्थित है।
सड़क मार्ग
नई टिहरी कई महत्वूर्ण मार्गो जैसे देहरादून, मसूरी, हरिद्वार, पौढ़ी, ऋषिकेश और उत्तरकाशी आदि जगहों से जुड़ा हुआ है। आस-पास की जगह घूमने के लिए टैक्

सी द्वारा भी जाया जा सकता है।

chothavilai beach, Kanyakumari

This beach is about 10 Kms from Kanyakumari, is one of the best natural beaches of the district. The beach has shallow water and High sand dunes on the back ground. The District Administration has through its own funds and through the funds of MPLAD scheme, put up rest shelters, kudils and a view tower over here for the benefit of tourists. The tourists can reach the beach through the newly laid coastal road which is a very beautiful drive along the sea-coast.

Phuktal Monastery, Ladakh

Phuktal Monastery or Phuktal Gompa is one of the most isolated monastery in the south-eastern Zanskar region in Ladakh district of Jammu and Kashmir in northern India. The monastery is a unique construction of mud and timber built at the entrance of a natural cave on the cliff face of a lateral gorge of a major tributary of the Lungnak (Lingti-Tsarap) River. From a distance, the monastery looks like a giant honeycomb.
More photos at -> Photo: Puktal Gomba  & Google Location is

 More Photos of this place

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Chand Bawri, Stepwell

Chand Baori in Abhaneri village in eastern Rajasthan, India, is one of the most overlooked landmarks in the country. It is one of the oldest stepwell in Rajasthan, and is considered to be among the biggest in the world. Chand Baori looks like anything but a well. This incredible square structure is 13 stories deep, and lined along the walls on three sides are double flight of steps. 3,500 narrow steps arranged in perfect symmetry descends to the bottom of the well 20 meters deep to a murky green puddle of water. Built during the 8th and 9th century by King Chanda of Nikumbha Dynasty, provided the surrounding areas with a dependable water source for centuries before modern water delivery systems were introduced. As the green water at the base attests, the well is no longer in use, but it makes for an interesting stop-over to an architecturally impressive structure that is over 1000 years old. There’s also a temple adjoining the well for visitors to explore.
Chand Baori is the oldest stepwell in Rajasthan, having been constructed in the 8th-9th centuries A.D. It is 19.5 meters, or roughly 64 feet, deep. The overwhelming majority of its surface area consists of steps—thousands of steps—all of which lead down to the water table, turning weekly water-gathering trips by local families into a communal spectacle, a social event framed by this extraordinary act of excavation and architecture.
Google map location:

Stepwells, also called bawdi or baori, are unique to India. These wells have steps built into the sides that can be descended to reach the water at the bottom. Stepwells are generally larger than common wells and are often of architectural significance, just like Chand Baori.
The well’s sheer endlessly appearing geometric complexity made of stairs and steps ensured that Rajput people had access to water at any time of the year, and from all sides. The reasons behind building such an elaborate step well is not fully clear. Some believe it was used as a water harvesting site. Rajasthan is a dry place, and hence, every ounce of water is precious. The large mouth of the well functioned as a rain catching funnel that contributed to the water seeping in from the porous rock at the bottom. In addition to conserving water, Chand baori also became a community gathering place for the Abhaneri locals. The townsfolk used to sit around the step well and cool off during the summer days. At the bottom the well the air is always about 5-6 degrees cooler than at the top.
The steps surround the well on three sides while the fourth side has a set of pavilions built one atop another. The side that has the pavilions have niches with beautiful sculptures including religious carvings. There is even a royal residence with rooms for the King and the Queen and a stage for the performing arts.
Chand Baori was featured in the movie The Fall and also made a small appearance in Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster The Dark Knight Rises.
The well is now a treasure managed by the Archeological Survey of India.

As said, Chand Baori is the oldest stepwell in Rajasthan, having been constructed in the 8th-9th centuries A.D. It is 19.5 meters, or roughly 64 feet, deep. The overwhelming majority of its surface area consists of steps—thousands of steps—all of which lead down to the water table, turning weekly water-gathering trips by local families into a communal spectacle, a social event framed by this extraordinary act of excavation and architecture.

Taking information straight from the sign that greets you upon arriving at the stepwell—

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The well suddenly appears there, its own horizon line, like a landslide of masonry, a sinkhole stabilized by stairs, and the vertiginous sense of being drawn down into the maw of this place is extraordinary.

source Bldg blog

& Some more  photos ..