World’s largest monolithic stone statue !

Set amid the beautiful lakes and the two green hued hills, Chandragiri and Vindyagiri, Shravanabelagola is a major Jain religious centre.

It is well known for the colossal monolithic statue of the awe – inspiring Gomateswara perched atop the Vindyagiri hill, which is 58 feet in height and 26 feet in width. It is considered to be the world's largest monolithic stone statue !

Shravanabelagola is located 13 kilometres from Channarayapatna, 51 kilometres from Hassan and 158 kilometres northwest from Bangalore, and has been a prominent centre for Jain art, architecture, religion and culture for over two millennia. More than 800 inscriptions have been found at Shravanabelagola, dating to various times from 600 to 1830.
Chadragupta Maurya, the great emperor who ruled a large part of India, settled in this region, handing over the reins of his kingdom to his son.

History behind the monolith
According to the legend, Lord Gomateshwara also known as Bahubali took on Bharatha in a duel that involved three forms – Dristiyuddha, Mallayuddha and Jalayuddha. Though Bahubali finally emerged victorious, he was overwhelmed by both the enormity and the futility of the desire for material wealth – a persuit that set brother against brother. He then renounced his kingdom and all other worldly pleasures.

Bahubali stood in deep meditation and radiated the glow of spiritual tranquility. Chavundaraya, the prime minister and commander-in-chief of the Ganga Kingdom, consecrated the statue of Bahubali in a meditative form in 981 AD. Also known as Gommata, the statue represents the highest values of life , renunciation and selflessness. It symbolizes man’s victory over Karma. A saint in perfect peace with himself and with everything else in the universe ! It is of great religious significance because Jains believe Bahubali was the first to attain moksha (freedom from cycle of birth and death)

To reach this majestic status one has to climb 614 steps uphill ! Quite a task. But we did it alongwith our 3 year old daughter.

The naked statue of Gommateshwara was carved out of a single block of granite of the hill and is a picture of serenity and composure.
The image of Bahubali is depicted with curly hair in ringlets and long large ears. His eyes are open, viewing the world with detachment. His perfectly chiseled facial features, with a faint smile, embody calm vitality. There is an anthill in the background which signifies his incessant penance.

Every twelve years, thousands of devotees congregate here to perform the Mahamastakabhisheka, a spectacular ceremony in which the statue is covered with milk, curds, ghee, saffron and gold coins. The next Mahamastakabhisheka will be held in 2018.

First Women Achievers of India since Independence

Arti Saha – First woman to swim across the English Channel

Aruna Asaf Ali – First woman Mayor of Delhi

Bachendri Pal – First woman to scale Mount Everest

Fatima Bi- Asia’s first recipient of the UNDP ‘Race against Poverty ‘ award

Hamoi Vyarawala – First woman press photographer (photojournalist)

Harshini Kanhekar – First fire woman

Indira Gandi – First woman Prime minister

Kalpana Chawla – First woman to land in space

Kanchan C. Bhattacharya – First woman Director General of Police

Kanchan Gaud – First woman taxi driver

Kiran Bedi – First IPS (Indian police force) officer

Leela Seth – First woman Chief Justice (High Court)

M.S.Subbalakshmi – First woman to perform at the United Nations

Maria Gorete – First woman railway engine driver

Menakshi – First woman driver of Delhi Metro

Padmavathi – First woman Air Marshal

Pratibha Patil - First woman President

Rajkumari Amrit Kaur – First woman Cabinet minister

Rita Faria – First woman to win “Miss World’ title

Sarojini Naidu - First woman Mayor of Utter Pradesh

Sucheta Kriplani – First woman Chief Minister

Sushmita Sen - First woman to win “Miss Universe’ title

Vijaylakshmi Pandit – First woman President of the United Nations General Assembly


Reference: Competition Success Review Year Book

UNESCO World Heritage sites of India

The UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) encourages countries to sign the World Heritage Convention and to ensure the protection of their natural and cultural heritage. This is indeed a great endeavour of this organisation to ensure that our legacy from the past is passed on to our future generations. It encourages international cooperation in the conservation of our world's cultural and natural heritage.

The UNESCO World Heritage sites of India are:

Cultural
1) Agra Fort
2) Ajanta Caves
3) Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi
4) Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park
5) Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus)
6) Churches and Convents of Goa
7) Elephanta Caves
8) Ellora Caves
9) Fatehpur Sikri
10) Great Living Chola Temples
11) Group of Monuments at Hampi
12) Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram
13) Group of Monuments at Pattadakal
14) Humayun's Tomb, Delhi
15) Khajuraho Group of Monuments
16) Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya
17) Mountain Railways of India
18) Qutb Minar and its Monuments, Delhi
19) Red Fort Complex
20) Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka
21) Sun Temple, Konark
22) Taj Mahal

Natural
1) Kaziranga National Park
2) Keoladeo National Park
3) Manas Wildlife Sanctuary
4) Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks
5) Sundarbans National Park
Of these, I have been to 6 sites and hope to visit all of these sites in my life time !

The Adventure continues -----------

The Celestial Madanikas !

The most marvelous specimens of Hoysala architecture, found exclusively at Belur in Karnataka are the angled bracket figures depicting celestial nymphs. All the 42 beautiful and expressive damsels are depicted in various forms as singing, dancing or executing daily chores and are described in detail below:

1) Darpana Sundari – A lady holding the mirror in the left hand and admiring her beauty.
2) A lady with a parrot perched on the fore palm of her right hand.
3) A lady holding the folded betel leaves in the left hand.
4) A Lady in her make up.
5) A monkey tugging the lady’s saree, and she is trying to beat it.
6) Aiming an arrow at a bird – the huntress.
7) Dressing her hair after a bath.
8) Tribhangi Nritya – A lady dancing by bending her body into three portions, one from the waist downward, other from the waist to the chest and another upwards. This is said to be the most difficult one, so far no other dancer has been able to exhibit this.
9) Holding a drum in her left hand and playing it with the right hand.
10) A lady playing the flute.
11) A lady singing with time.
12) Bewitching beauty: The canopy above her left shoulder depicts a jackfruit and a fly on it. A lizard intends to catch the fly.
13) A violinist
14) A curly haired beauty arranging her curls on the forehead and looking into the mirror.
15) Plucking a mango with her right hand.
16) The heroic huntress – Dresses as one and is aiming at the birds sitting on the creeper above.
17) Masculine woman: She is wearing a beard and a moustache like a man and is playing a drum.
18) A Saint: She is in the disguise of a saint.
19) The dancer.
20) The songstress holding metallic time keepers in her hands.
21) The divine dancer, and her maids play the musical instruments.
22) The huntress – holding a fork like spear with a skull on top.
23) The huntress returning from a successful hunt.
24) Beauty dance.
25) Bhasma mohini dance depicting the form of Mohini
26) Frightened of the scorpion in the folds of her sari, she dusts her sari upon which the scorpion falls down.
27) She is beautifully dressed and is waiting for her lover.
28) A gypsy girl – She holds palm leaves in her left hand.
29) After a hearty meal – She had her meal and is about to rest.
30) Nagveena Dance – The expert musician playing her violin, which is in the form of a snake.
31) Bedecked beauty - Admiring herself in the mirror after adoring herself with all sorts of ornaments.
32) The fortune teller – She holds in her left hand a small drum and a timekeeper is set in her right hand, foretelling the future to the world.
33) The Kite dancer – She is standing as if she is tugging the string of a kite using both of her hands.
34) She has tied her hair into a knot, looks like the modern pony – tail.
35) The lady has worn her best dress and ornaments and is ready to go for a dance.
36) Drum dance – She has a beard and a moustache like a man. She is dancing holding a drum in her left hand.
37) She is singing and her maids are playing the musical instruments.
38) She is dancing to a tune with her accomplices on both her sides.

Inside the temple:
39) Lady with her pet parrot – A lady holds a creeper in her right hand and a parrot is sitting on the fore palm of her left hand. She is wearing a bangle in her right hand.
40) Shantaladevi – She is dancing and there is a canopy behind her. She is wearing a gem, just above the middle of her forehead.
41) Gandharva dance – She is wearing many bangles on her fore arm.
42) Kesh Shrungara – She is wringing her hair to sqeeze the water after a bath. One can view the drops of water collected at the tip of her hair.


Seeing is Believing !