Ananta Vasudeva Mandir, Orissa, IN

Deities: Lord Vishnu
Location: Bhubaneswar, Orissa
Built In: 1278 A.D.
Built by: Chandrikadevi
Significance: The only Vaishnava Temple present at Bhubaneswar
Best time to visit: October to April
STD Code: 0674

Bhubaneswar ('The Lord of the Universe'), the capital city of the state of Orissa. Bhubaneswar is one of the most rich cities in India, here lord Shiva is known as Tribuhuvaneswara or “Lord of the Three Worlds", from which the city derives its name. Bhubaneswar is known as Temple Town and Cathedral City on account of its many temples in the extravagant Orissan style.

This is one of the few Vaishnavite temples in Bhubaneswar. It dates back to the 13th century and it enshrines images of Krishna, Balarama and Subhadra. It is located on the eastern bank of the Bindu Sarovar Lake. It is located in a walled compound along with numerous structures. Balarama stands under a seven hooded serpent, while Krishna holds a mace and a conch.
Architecturally, it is almost a reduced copy of the Lingaraja temple, but the grouping of the four component parts, with their roofs presenting the appearance of ascending peaks culminating in the highest 'Mastaka' of the 'Deul' at a height of 18.29m, is more effective.

The plan of the Anata-Vasudeva temple differs considerably from that of the other temples. The main temple stands on an uniform platform, a peculiarity which is the first of its kind in a dated temple, and has a three- chambered frontal adjunct consisting of Jagamohana, the Natamandira and the Bhogamandapa. It is stated in the epigraph that a temple was built for Sri Krishna & Valaram on the bank of Vindu Sarovar tank by Chandrikadevi, daughter of Ananga-Bhimadev III, in the Saka era of 1200 (1278 A.D.).

It is further distinguished by an ornamental platform, relieved with 'Khakhara-Mundis', carved pilasters, 'Nagas', 'Nagis' and 'Vidalas' between two sets of three mouldings each. Though the 'Deul' is 'Pancha-Ratha' on plan, a new feature is introduced in the division of the corner 'Ratha' of the 'Bada' in two equal parts, both on the same plane; the inner one is crowned by a miniature 'Rekha' above the mouldings of the 'veranda'.The facets of the 'Rathas' are richly imprinted with fine scrollwork, 'Jali', creepers and flower-shaped motifs, the central facets of the corner 'Ratha' having female figures. The 'Khakhara-Mundis' on the intermediary 'Rathas' of the lower 'Jangha' contain the eight 'Dikpalas', seated on their respective mounts, while the corresponding spaces on the upper 'Jangha' have their female counterparts.

The carvings on the central projections containing a banister window are neatly done. The banisters of the north window have the figures of Rama, Lakshmana, Sita, Hanuman and a monkey-attendant.

Other Temples:
Lingaraja Temple
Mukteswara Temple
Parasurameswara Temple
Bramheswara Temple
Rajarani Temple

How to reach:
by Air: Bhubaneswar is connected to the cities of Calcutta, Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai, Vishakhapatnam, Hyderabad, and Raipur through regular flights. Biju Patnaik Airport in Bhubaneswar is the only major airport in the state.
by Rail: Bhubaneswar is directly connected by rail with Calcutta, Puri, Madras, Delhi, Bombay, Bhubaneswar, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Tirupati, and Trivandrum.
by Road: Roads are linked with Bhubaneswar and Berhampur, Chilka, Cuttack, Konark, Paradip, Puri, Rourkela, Sambalpur and other places. Interstate bus services operate daily between Calcutta and Puri via Bhubaneswar and Tatanagar (Jamshedpur).

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Radha Shyam Mandir, Kolkata, West Bengal, IN

Deities: Radha-Krishna
Location: Bishnupur, Kolkata
Built in: 1758
Built by: Chaitanya Singha

Heart is the symbol of Love.Love is Truth. Love is Power.Love is God. To love God is to love manand to love man is to worship God.
-Sri Swami Sivananda

Radha-Shyam Temple is one of the famous terracotta temples at Bishnupur in Bankura District of West Bengal. The temple was built by King Chaitanya Singha in 1758 and is dedicated to Lord Krishna. The temple architecture consists of a square building with a curved roof and is crowned by a single tower. Located about 150 km northwest of Kolkata, Bishnupur is a city with a glorious past. The rich architecture of terracotta carved temples here is a striking legacy from the past. Bishnupur has over thirty brick and stone temples, dating from 17th to 18th centuries, dedicated to Radha and Lord Krishna.

Apart from temples, there are eight large tanks, locally known as bandhs, worth visiting. Lalbandh, Krishnabandh, and Pokabandh were built by the Malla kings. The Dhrupad school of Indian classical music was established here during 16th / 17th century.

Lord Krishna, the eighth incarnation (avatar) of Lord Vishnu is said to have born to Devaki and Vasudeva in imprisonment, on the midnight of the 8th day of the dark half of the month of Shravan. The objective of the birth was to kill Kamsa, the cruel ruler of Mathura and Devaki's brother. To protect the baby from the king, Krishna was taken into the cowherd family of Yashodha and Nandagopan, where he grew up with his brother Balarama as the legendary naughty boy.

Krishna's youth, like his childhood, is immensely popular with devotees, and is spiritually significant. The Rasalila, or the dance of love, that he enjoyed with the gopikas, or cowherds, has been subject to much literary and philosophical interpretation. The Mahabharata describes the War of Kurukshetra in which Lord Krishna favored the Pandavas against the evil that their cousins Kauravas embodied. Krishna drove Arjuna's chariot in the war, and delivered the philosophical text Bhagavad Gita to the diffident Arjuna in the battlefield.

Krishna is usually represented as playing the flute, the music of love. He is dark (blue) in color, and wears yellow silk and flower garlands. The birthday of the lord, known as Janmashtami or Sri Krishna Jayanti, is celebrated all over the country.

How to reach:
Kolkata is very well connected to the major Indian cities by air, rail and road.

Visit www.eTirth.com for more information on Temples, Ashrams, Gurus, Festival and Daily Panchangam (Hindu ephemeris).

If you love to read visit www.KathaVarta.org for Religious stories.

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Iskcon Mandir, Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh, IN

Deities: Krishna-Balaram
Location: Raman Reti in Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh
Built in: 1975
Also known as: Sri Krishna-Balrama Temple
Significance: First Temple made by ISKCON
Best time to visit: October to march

HARE RAMA HARE KRISHNA, this name is probably amongst the first things that spring to a westerner's mind when one thinks of India or the spirituality connected to it. A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (also known as Srila Prabhupada) established the movement officially known as the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).

Iskcon Temple dedicated to the Lord Krishna is built on a hilly place by the Hare-Rama Hare- Krishna cult followers. The principal deity of the temple is the image of Krishna-Balrama, which happens to lure from the main entrance of the shrine.

The temple is situated in Raman Reti, Vrindavan, U.P., where the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna displayed His transcendental pastimes 5,000 years ago. Sri Krishna and Balaram would herd their cows at Raman Reti near the Yamuna River. Vrindavan Realizations is a place for sanga, association with bhaktas. Share your realizations about Vrindavan and your path to Hari. The magnificent temple has 'Shikharas' at a height of 90-feet above the ground level. The hall of the temple is centrally air-conditioned with a capacity to accommodate about 1,500 people. Beautiful would describe the architecture of the temple mildly… at the entrance are two statues of the guards of vekunth (the place where Shri Krishna resides). There are beautiful paintings of Russian artists on the different past times of Radha Krishna.

For the whole day, various rituals and ceremonies are conducted in the reverence of the Lord. Throughout the temple, one can see many foreigners that are actively involved in the religious and spiritual activities of the temple. These people have come from their homelands, to Vrindavan, for serving the Lord in his play land. The temple galleries adorn various pictures of Lord Krishna, depicting various frolicking scenes of his life.

At Vrindavan the ISKCON society also runs a boarding school on the lines of a Gurukul with classes being run from I to VII. A Gurukul is a holistic kind of educational system whereby students and teachers live in the same complex so students may learn by observing the teacher. There are guest houses for devotees within the premises so they may take part in the day to day activities of the temple.

It is customary for devotees to walk around the town of Vrindavana. There is a parikrama path that goes around the town. This path is one street over from the ISKCON temple. It usually takes two to three hours to go around Vrindavana. The parikrama path is 10 km (6 miles).

Some of the places passed on the way are: Mohana Ter, Kaliya Ghata, Madana Mohana Temple, Imli Tala, Sringara Vat, and Keshi Ghata. The main day that people do parikrama of Vrindavana is on Ekadashi (the eleventh day of the waxing and waning moon). It is customary to do this walk with bare feet, which is fairly painless, even for one who never walks in bare feet.

The temple wall is adorned with exquisite paintings and carvings depicting the life of Lord Krishna. Beautiful architecture, carved arches and immense spirituality make the place a divine destination in Vrindavan. Be prepared to listen to 'Hare Krishna' as everybody you will meet inside the temple premise will greet you with these two words.

Madan Mohana Temple, Radha-Ballava Temple, Radha-Damodara Temple and Radha-Gopinath Temple are some of famous temples of Vrindavan which you should not miss while you are in Vrindavan.

Festivals:
Every day is a new day at Iskcon Temple, where ceremonies and rituals keep the festivities alive. However, there are many festivals that are celebrated at a grand level in the temple. Amongst the festivals, Janmashtami, Rama Navami, Gaura Purnima, Diwali, Annakut, Chandan Yatra, Jhulan Yatra (Swing festival), Kartika (Oct/Nov), Gaura Purnima, Balaram Purnima, Radhashtami and Govardhana Puja are the major festivals that bring special celebration at Iskcon Temple.

Janmashtami, the birthday of Lord Krishna, is observed with full gusto and fervor. The whole temple is decorated with flowers, flags, ribbons and garlands. People keep fast for the whole day and at midnight; they take grain-less meal. At the time of Janmashtami, the whole of town of Vrindavan gets drenched in the gala of Lord Krishna's Birthday. The deities are dressed up in rich clothes and ornamented with dazzling jewellery.

How to reach:
by Air: the nearest airport is Agra which is 66 km away and is well connected to Delhi, Khajuraho and Varanasi by regular flights services.
by Rail: Mathura Junction is well connected to Delhi by numerous trains including in its route. The nearest rail head is at Mathura that is 15km from Mathura and 145 kms from Delhi.
by Road: Mathura and Vrindavan are well connected with Agra, Delhi, Bharatpur, Alwar and Lucknow by well maintained road.

Address:
ISKCON Guesthouse
ISKCON Temple Vrindavan
Uttar Pradesh

Tel No: 0091-5664-442478, 0091-5664-442591

Visit www.eTirth.com for more information on Temples, Ashrams, Gurus, Festival and Daily Panchangam (Hindu ephemeris).

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Lakshmi Narayan Mandir, Delhi, IN

Deities: Lord Vishnu-Lakshmi
Location: New Delhi, Cannaught Place
Constructed by: R.D.Birla, 1938
Also known as: Birla Mandir
Festival: Janmashtami & Diwali

The Lakshmi Narayan Temple or the Birla Temple as it is popularly known enshrines Lord Vishnu – the preserver of the Hindu Trinity. The Temple is one of the major attractions of the capital city - Delhi. Built by the well-known industrialist, R.D. Birla, the temple is dedicated to Lakshmi (the goddess of wealth) and Narayana the preserver).

About the Temple:
The highest Shikara of the temple above the sanctum sanctorum soars 160 feet high. The temple faces the east and is situated on a high plinth. This chamber is dedicated to Lord Narayan and Goddess Lakshmi. There are other small shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva, Lord Ganesha and Hanuman. The holy Vedas are also enshrined in this temple. There is also a shrine dedicated to Lord Buddha. The shrine is adorned with fresco paintings depicting his life and work. The icons of the temple are in marble brought from Jaipur. Kota stone from Makarana, Agra, Kota and Jaisalmer were used in the construction of the temple premises. The Geeta Bhawan to the north of the temple is dedicated to Lord Krishna. The temples premises are dotted with miniature rock temples, which are a craze amongst the children. An artificial landscape complete with mountains and cascading waterfalls add to the beauty of the temple.

History:
It was built by eminent industrialist Raja Baldev Birla. This temple is dedicated to Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and Narayana, the preserver of this universe. It took nearly six years to construct this temple. The serene and piously enchanting surroundings awaken every soul from the slumber of this material world.

Architecture:
The temple is built in the Nagara style of architecture interspersed with modern influences. The entire temple is adorned with relief carvings depicting the scenes from mythology. 101 skilled pundits from Benares, headed by Acharya Vishvanath Shastri, carved the idols of the temple. One can find a number of friezes and artistic sculptures add to the aesthetic beauty of this temple. The temple has been designed by Sir Chandra Chatterjee (1873-1966), who combined the architectural styles of Orissa style sanctuaries and Mughal arcades. The highest tower in the temple reaches a height of 165ft, while the ancillary towers reach 116ft. The Geeta Bhavan, a hall adorned with beautiful paintings depicting scenes from Indian mythology. There is also a temple dedicated to Buddha in this complex with fresco paintings describing his life and work.

How to Reach:
by Road: Tourists can either take local buses from various points within the city to reach the monument, or they can hire auto-rickshaws and taxis or metro rail.
by Rail: Nearest Railway Station: New Delhi Railway Station
by Air: Nearest International Airport: Indira Gandhi International Airport.

Visit www.eTirth.com for more information on Temples, Ashrams, Gurus, Festival and Daily Panchangam (Hindu ephemeris).

If you love to read visit www.KathaVarta.org for Religious stories.

Last but not least, if you want to visit above Holy Pilgrimage, please contact and visit our associate partner www.YatraKhoj.com and e-mail at yatrakhoj@yahoo.com.