HYDERABAD 10 to 16 Feb 2020

HYDRABAD     :  10  Feb to 16 Feb 2020

We did a short Tour of Secundrabad n Hydrabad . The last time we were in Secundrabad was April 1978.  The major change was immense traffic in the city.

10 Feb.20

Dep by Flt Indigo at 11.55   Arrival Hyderabad at 14.10

Hyderabad Airport is  km from the city and it took us 1hour 30 mins to reach our Room in Secundrabad.

11 Feb 20

We went to see few famous landmarks  in Hyderabad. after Breakfast. First we went to Birla Mandir. The Mandir is dedicated to the Lord Venkateshwara of Tirumala and is in fact modelled after and is the replica of the idol of Balaji of Tirupati. The temple itself is located at the top of a 280 feet tall hill called the Naubat Pahad that overlooks both, Hyderabad and Secunderabad as well as the Hussain Sagar Lake and is one of the best viewpoints in the city, especially at night.

Birla Temple

Hussain sagar lake

There after we went to see the  Charminar. Last we saw it was in 1978. Charminar is perfectly square, with each side measuring 20m. The four grand arches open into four different streets and stand 11m wide. The square structure accommodates four minarets in each corner. The minarets are 56 meters high, house two balconies, and are topped with small delicate domes and intricate carvings on the outside walls and the minarets are built into the main structure. Inside the minarets there is a spiral staircase with 149 steps and 12 landings. The structure is a fine example of Indo-Islamic architecture with ample Persian influences.

 

Char Minar

It has now no traffic zone around it and you can walk around with ease.  After walking around the Charminar we went to see Chowmahalla Palce , which is close by, approx. 800 mtrs .

 Chowmahalla Palace

Once the seat of the Asaf Jahi dynasty, the Chowmahalla Palace was built in Hyderabad between the years 1857 and 1869. In essence, Chowmahalla can be literally translated to mean 'Four Palaces'. The magnificent monument consists of two massive courtyards as well as a grand dining hall known as 'Khilawat'. This splendid monument that once served as the official residence of the Nizams of Hyderabad during their reign still retains some of its past splendour. It is still the property of Barkat Ali Khan Mukarram Jah, heir of the Nizams and has been decorated with UNESCO's Asia Pacific Merit award in 2010 as well.The palace was restored by the Government and was opened to the public in the year of 2005. One can visit the palace throughout the week except on Friday and national holidays.

At the Council Hall, various manuscripts and rare books which were personal collections of the Nizam have been kept.

Chowmahalla Palace timings are from 10 AM to 5 PM. It is open on all days of the week except on Friday. It is also closed on national holidays with a ticket of Rs50.00 per head.

Chowmahalla Palace

Khilafat

 There after we had very popular Dosa at Tiffin Service. This place is always crowded, you do not have any sitting place , and have to Stand and eat. The Dosa and Iddli were indeed extremely good.

12 Feb 20

We took a full day tour of Ramoji City. It is approx. 40km away and takes 1hour 30 mins of drive from the City. At the ticket Counter you can buy the tickets. It is better to buy the Full Day ticket without Meals. Cost Rs1150.  You can then choose meals inside the Film City, in one of many eating places. There is a discount for  defence personnel but you need to intimate the Film City in advance. After buying the ticket you enter at Entry Point and a bus takes you to Film City. You must start at 09.00 am so that you can attend the Welcome to Film City reception. There after you are taken around in Bus by a guide . The Guide will drop you to a site, give you time to look around and then again board the bus for next point.  We first saw the set of Central Jail, Then we walked thru the set depicting street from Italy, London and going into a Set of Aircraft with Airport Exit gates. Then we drove to outdoor set of Rajasthan with Garden, Japanese Garden, Mughal Garden. Next was visit to big set of Bahubali. We went to see the Butterfly garden and Exotic Bird  Park. The birds and butterfly section has good variety. We then came back to set of Shows. 

The Shows are around EUREKA Square

See the way filming is done with editing and adding effects at Ramoji Movie Magic - Action Theatre. Then go and enjoy a short ride to space in   Space Yatra. See Black Light Show in a hall and then Enjoy the Wild West Stunt Show . Finally see the Spirit of Ramoji.

It will take you full day to see all this and take a bus to Entrance Gate. From here you get back to City.

Mahabali Movie set

Set of Mahabharat

Europe Street Set

  

Live action Show

13 Feb 20

Today we took a tour of Golconda Fort. You must hire a Guide to enjoy your trip else it is old buildings and Rocks. Plan for 3 hours trip here.

The story of Golconda Fort is the story of Hyderabad, the prequel, the beginnings of what is today an ever growing city with global impact. In 12th century AD, when the Shepard’s Hill (Golla-Konda) was first fortified by the Kakatiya Dynasty. Later in1687, after eight years of being under siege by the Mughal emperor, Aurangzeb, the fort fell to the Mughal Empire.

Golconda’s outer wall encompasses 11 kilometres, with each successive ruling dynasty adding to the architecture of the fort. There are four forts, a number of temples, mosques, stables, royal apartments, bastions, gardens — the works. Entry into the fort is guarded by spiked gates, the 15 to 18 feet high walls 

It is said that Golconda used to be a famous diamond market attracting merchants from all over the world. It was at Golconda that the famous Kohinoor and Hope diamonds along with others such as The Regent Diamond, Darya-e Nur, Nur-Ul-Ain Diamond were stored.

The system of acoustics in the Fort is something which you must see and believe. The sound of clapping at the entrance can be heard at the ‘Bala Hissar' which is the highest point and almost a kilometre away. This system was apparently used for communication purposes, especially to alert royal in case of any attack. In the Queens bed room, you can actually hear the talk from one end to other end along the wall.

Other attractive features of the Fort include water supply system which does leave many marvelling at the advancement of the technical and scientific knowledge while constructing this fort. Another popular aspect is the 'Rahban' cannon.

Ramdas’ prison is one of the popular spots inside the fort. According to legend, Ramdas who was a revenue collector in Abdul Hasan Shah's court was imprisoned. During his imprisonment, he carved Hindu deities on the wall of his cell. One can see many carvings of Hindu Lord Hanuman on the wall, which are now smeared with holy vermillion. A holy lamp or two (diyas) is also kept lit in front of the carvings. Timing: 9 am - 5:30 pm, Cost of ticket is Rs15 per person.

In the evenings we spent time with our friends .

      

14 Feb 20

Today after breakfast we took the flight back to Home.

PATNA GAYA 6 to 10 March 2020

GAYA 6 to 10 Mar 2020

We took a small Tour of Patna, Gaya, Nalanda , Rajgir from 6 March to 10 March 2020. Here is our tour details .

Points To Consider.

1.   It is better to take Flt to Patna and back, as flts to Gaya are expensive.

2.   It is better to travel to Gaya by Train as it is faster and more comfortable

3.   The cost of Taxi to Gaya and Back is approx. 3500, where as cost of ACII for Twoone way  is Rs 1400  and Rs 850 for Seniors. 

 

06 March .

We took the flt from Delhi at 15.40 pm and arrived at Patna at 17.15Pm. We took the car from Airport to Patna Sahib , Bala Kila , where you get place to stay for night. The distance from airport was 35 km but it takes almost 1 hour 30 mins to travel.

At the Sarai we requested for a Room. Mob No 8294622289  We paid Rs1000.00 , of which we were refunded Rs500 next day at check out. You need to show an identity card for taking a Room. There is another Sarai just at the Entrance of this Sarai, which appeared to be better Sarai, and was new Sarai. It has Double Room for Rs 1500.00 per night and they take Advance reservations. Details are Patna Sahib Asthan ph No 7091175737 Email gnnsjindia@gmail.com   . There is a Langar Hall next to Sarai and you can have your meals here.

Having checked into our Room we went to Takht Sahib for Darshan. The Takht Sahib is just 300 meters away and you can walk comfortably thru the lane. You can also go by E Rick which are available .  

Takht Sahib

07 March.

We had our breakfast in Langar Hall and then walked to Kangan Sahib Gurudawra. It is just 500 yards. You can view the Ganges River and if you want, you can take a boat ride as well. 

River Ganga

At 09.00Am we started for Gaya by Car. The road is thru many small cities and at times the road is very choked with traffic. The distance is just 90 km but you take 3 Hr and 30min to 4 hour for travel. There is no good place enroute to stop and have for any refreshments.We reached Gaya at 2Pm.

After Lunch and rest we left for Bodh Gaya at 4Pm. We went to see the Mahabodhi Temple and the Bodhi tree.

 The Mahabodhi Temple built near the Mahabodhi tree , under which Gautam Buddha meditated and attained enlightenment. One can still find the remnants and descendants of the original Mahabodhi Tree,On statistical notes, it belongs to the fifth generation of original Bodhi Tree. It stands as high as 80-feet and is 115 years old. Beneath the tree, there exists a stone platform where it is said that Lord Buddha sat for hours meditating and gazing particularly in the east direction. It is now one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites .Bodh Gaya was earlier known as Uruwela. It was also known as Sambodhi, Vajrasana or Mahabodhi until the 18th century CE.

Mahabodhi Tree

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Entrance Gate

Maha Bodhi Temple with Its Tree

Inside the Temple

You also can see the Steps that Lord Budhha took after his meditation. 

There after we saw the Big Buddha Statute.This was installed by the XIV Dalai Lama in 1989. This  Lord Buddha statue is 80 ft  high and rests on a giant lotus in absolute meditation, in ‘Dhyana Mudra’ position. 

80 Feet High Budha 

         


















We then went to see Thai Monastery. This is  well-known Buddhist monastery in Bihar. It  was constructed by the joint venture of the Indian and Thai govt. in 2002. This monastery is a serene spot and many from Thailand  and locals visit there alike. It has holy ambience provides calmness to the senses.

Receiving Prashadam

Thai Temple

08 March

We left early at 7.30AM for Nalanda. The distance to Nalanda is just 80km and takes little over 2 hours to reach. We initially saw the small Museum.

1915 -1917

The beehive was disturbed at Nalanda Heritage Site thus we went to see the Lord Mahaveer’s birth place at Kundalpur. This is just 2 km away from the Museam.

The Nadyavart Mahal, Trikal Chaubisi Mandir,& the Navgrah Shanti Mandir, are 3 different temples, established with different goals, & it is a treat to watch these temples.

Nalanda. Thereafter we came to see the Great Nalanda University , a World Heritage Site.Nalanda was a Buddhist university established in 450CE, and was the longest running university in Indian history. Among its many notable guests were the Buddha and Mahavira, and at its zenith accommodated over 10,000 students and over 2,000 faculty. However, it was destroyed by Turkish Muslim invaders in 1193, when the students and teachers were massacred and the massive university library was burnt down, and currently all that remains are extensive ruins that are spread over an area of 14 hectares.

Nalanda was largely forgotten until Francis Buchanan-Hamilton surveyed the site in 1811–1812 after locals in the vicinity drew his attention to a vast complex of ruins in the area. He, however, did not associate the mounds of earth and debris with famed Nalanda. That link was established by Major Markham Kittoe in 1847. Alexander Cunningham and the newly formed Archaeological Survey of India conducted an official survey in 1861–1862.Systematic excavation of the ruins by the ASI did not begin until 1915 and ended in 1937. The second round of excavation and restoration took place between 1974 and 1982.

The remains of Nalanda today extend some 1,600 feet north to south and around 800 feet east to west. Excavations have revealed eleven monasteries and six major brick temples arranged in an ordered layout. It is belived that Nalanda Mahavihara occupied a far greater area in medieval times.

The subjects taught at Nalanda covered every field of learning, and it attracted pupils and scholars from Korea, Japan, China, Tibet, Indonesia, Persia and Turkey.

Xuanzang left detailed accounts of the school in the 7th century. He described how the regularly laid-out towers, forest of pavilions, harmikas and temples , and the cells where the monks used to study and live. 

Library

It is evident from the large numbers of texts that Yijing carried back with him after his 10-year residence at Nalanda, that the Mahavihara must have featured a well-equipped library. Traditional Tibetan sources mention the existence of a great library at Nalanda named Dharmaganja , which comprised three large multi-storeyed buildings. Ratnodadhi , One part of Library, was nine storeys high and housed the most sacred manuscripts .

The exact number of volumes in the Nalanda library is not known, but it is estimated to have been in the hundreds of thousands.^. The library kept burning for over 6 months after it was set on fire  around 1193 CE by , Muhammad Bin Bakhtiyar Khilij  , a Turkishchieftain out to make a name for himself. 

Fleeing monks took some of the Nalanda manuscripts. A few of them have survived and are preserved in collections such as those at:

a.    Los Angeles County Museum of Art^.  Folios from a Dharanisamgraha, circa 1075.

b.   Asia Society. This Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita manuscript records, in Sanskrit and Tibetan. 

      c.   Yarlung Museum, Tsetang (From the On ke ru Lha khang monastery)Astasahahasrika Prajnaparamita Sanskrit palm-leaf manuscript, with 139 leaves and painted wooden covers. According to the colophon, this manuscript was donated by the mother of the great pandita Sri Asoka in the second year of the reign of King Surapala  at end of the 11th century.

1925-- 1927

Today

Living and Meditation Area

3 Diffrent Stairs as 3 Different Kings Added to Structure

Large Pot for Grains

Entrance for Keeping the Grain Pot

Storage Place For Pot

Rajgir.Having seen Nalanda we drove for about 14 Km to Rajgir, enroute we stopped to purchase the famous “Khaja” which is made Sweet as well as Saltish.

 

Khaja Shop at  Rajgir

Rajgir (historically known as Girivraj) is an ancient city in Nalanda district in Bihar. The city of Rajgir was the first capital of the kingdom of Magadha, a state became into the Mauryan Empire. The city finds mention in India's greatest literary epic, the Mahabharata, through its king Jarasandha. Its date of origin is unknown, although ceramics dating to about 1000 BC have been found in the city.

Historically, Rajgir has been a very important place in Jainism, as capital to many empires. The main tourist attractions include the ancient city walls from Ajatshatru's  period, the Bimbisar’s Jail, Jarasandh’s Akhara, Gridhra-kuta,, Son Bhandar Caves and the Jain temples on the five peaks.

Rajgir is famous for its hot water springs, locally known as Brahmakund, a sacred place for Hindus where water from seven different springs (Saptarshi) merge and is notable for its healing effects.

We first went up the rope way to Shanti Stupa. This is most visited place. 

Shanti Stupa

Rope way Ticket Rs 80.00

Thereafter we saw Chariot marks of Lord Krishna and foot prints of Bhim and Jarasandh.

Chariot Marks

 We then drove back to Gaya. We briefly stopped at the mountain which was cut by Dashrath Manji. 

Manjhi was a agricultural laborer from 1959 or 1960, Manjhi's wife Falguni Devi was badly injured and died because the nearest town with a doctor was 55 km away. Some reports say she was injured while walking along a narrow path across the rocky ridge to bring water or lunch to Manjhi, who had to work away from the village at a location south of the ridge.

As a result of this experience Manjhi resolved to cut a roadway across the ridge to make his village more accessible.Manjhi felt the need to do something for society and decided to carve a path through the ridge so that his village could have easier access to medical care.

He carved a path 110 m long, 7.7 m deep in places and 9.1 m wide to form a road through the ridge of rocks. 

Dashrath manji

He completed the work in 22 years (1960–1982). This path reduced the distance between the Atri and Wazirganj sectors  from 55 km to 15 km. Though mocked for his efforts, Manjhi's work has made life easier for people of the Gehlaur village. Official roads between his village and Wazirganj and Atri and Gaya were only built where his path was after his death in 2007.

Road Cut in 22 Years

09 March

Today morning we went to see few more places in Gaya.

 

Vishnupad Temple.

Once a demon known as Gayasura, did a heavy penance and sought a boon that whoever see him should attain salvation . Since salvation is achieved through being righteous in one's lifetime, people started obtaining it easily. To prevent immoral people from attaining salvation Lord Vishnu  asked Gayasura to go beneath the earth and did so by placing his right foot on asura's head. After pushing Gayasura below the surface of earth, Lord Vishnu's 40-centimetre long foot print remained on the surface that we see even today. The footprint consists of nine different symbols including Shankam, Chakram and Gadham. These are believed to be weapons of the lord. Gayasura now pushed into earth pleaded for food. Lord Vishnu gave him a boon that every day, someone will offer him food..

Vishnu pad

Vishnu Pad Temple

Sita Kund

Exactly opposite to Vishnu pad temple but on the other banks of phalgu river is a small temple depicting the spot where Sita devi performed pinda dana for her father-in-law. This lila is depicted in form of a beautiful deity of Sita devi offering the pinda with sand balls of river phalguni (now phalgu) & hand of Dashrath appearing from the earth to accept it. 

Sita Kund

Hand of Dashrath with Pind

Mangla Gauri Temple 

The present temple dates back to the 15th Century. This shrine is dedicated to Goddess Shakti or Sati. She is worshipped in the form of Goddess Mangla Gauri, the deity of benevolence. It is one of the ‘Shaktipeeths’ constructed on the top of Manglagauri Hill, according to beliefs, the breasts of the mother goddess fell at this place after her body was shredded by the ‘sudarshana chakra’ of Lord Vishnu. Here Goddess Sati or Mangla or Shakti is worshipped in the form of the breast symbol, which signifies nourishment. The temple complex consists of small shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva and the images of Goddess Sati as Mahishasura Mardini, Durga and Dakshina Kali.

Inside of Temple

Mangla Gauri Temple

   

Mynamar Vihara

This is a Meditation Center made by in collaboration with  Myanmar Govt. 

OTA Gaya.

We drove through OTA Gaya . You need a permission to visit OTA Gaya.

Entrance Gate

10 March

Today was Holi festival. We played holi with our friends and then took a train at 13.20pm to Patna. 

We reached Patna at 15.30 pm . We then went to look up our old friend.


We took the flight at 7.20Pm for Delhi.

We reached home by 22.00 pm