The Pashupatinath Temple Tours of World Heritage Site

The Pashupatinath Temple is a famous 5th century Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva (Pashupati). Located on the banks of the Bagmati River in the eastern part of Kathmandu, Pashupatinath Temple is the oldest Hindu temple in India Tour. It served as the seat of national deity, Lord Pashupatinath, until Nepal was secularized. However, a significant part of the temple was destroyed by Mughal invaders in the 14th century and little or nothing remains of the original 5th-century temple exterior. 

The temple as it stands today was built in the 19th century, although the image of the bull and the black four-headed image of Pashupati are at least 300 years old.

The Pashupatinath Temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Shivaratri, or the night of Lord Shiva, is the most important festival that takes place here, attracting thousands of devotees and sadhus. Believers in Pashupatinath (mainly Hindus) are allowed to enter the temple premises, but non-Hindu visitors are allowed to view the temple only from the across the Bagmati River. The priests who perform the services at this temple have been Brahmins from Karnataka, South India since the time of Malla king Yaksha Malla. 

This tradition is believed to have been started at the request of Adi Shankaracharya who sought to unify the states of Bharatam (Unified India) by encouraging cultural exchange. This procedure is followed in other temples around India, which were sanctified by Adi Shankaracharya. The temple is built in the pagoda style of architecture, with cubic constructions, carved wooden rafters (tundal) on which they rest, and two-level roofs made of copper and gold.

During Rana and Shah eras, the name "Nepal" referred only to the Kathmandu Valley; it was what people who lived outside the valley called it. During this period, British historians called the valley itself "Nepal Proper". Today, Kathmandu is not only the capital of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, but also the headquarters of the Central Development Region of Nepal. The Central Region comprises three zones: Bagmati, Narayani, and Janakpur. Kathmandu is located in the Bagmati Zone.

World Heritage Site - Tours of Buddhist Temple

The Mahabodhi Temple Great Awakening Temple a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a Buddhist temple in Luxury India Tour, marking the location where Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, is said to have attained enlightenment. Bodh Gaya (located in Gaya district) is located about 96 km (60 mi) from Patna, Bihar state, India. Next to the temple, on its western side, is the holy Bodhi tree. In the Pali Canon, the site is called Bodhimanda, and the monastery there the Bodhimanda Vihara. The tallest tower is 55 metres tall.

Traditional accounts say that, around 530 BC, Siddhartha Gautama, a young prince who saw the suffering of the world and wanted to end it, reached the forested banks of Falgu River, near the city of Gaya, India. There he sat in meditation under a peepul tree (Ficus religiosa or Sacred Fig), which later became known as the Bodhi tree. According to Buddhist scriptures, after three days and three nights, Siddharta attained enlightenment and the answers that he had sought. In that location, Mahabodhi Temple was built by Emperor Ashoka in around 260 BCE.

The Buddha then spent the succeeding seven weeks at seven different spots in the vicinity meditating and considering his experience. Several specific places at the current Mahabodhi Temple relate to the traditions surrounding these seven weeks.

The Bodhi tree at Bodhigaya is directly connected to the life of the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, who attained enlightenment or perfect insight when he was meditating under an ancestor of this Pipal tree. The temple was built directly to the east of the Bodhi tree under which the Buddha spent his first week after attaining enlightenment or its direct descendant in a line that continues to this day.

According to Buddhist mythology, if no Bodhi tree grows at the site, the ground around the Bodhi tree is devoid of all plants for a distance of one royal karīsa and nothing can travel in the air immediately above it, not even Sake clarification needed.

According to the Jacanas, the navel of the earth lies at this spot, and no other place can support the weight of the Buddha's attainment. Another Buddhist tradition claims that when the world is destroyed at the end of a kalpak, the Bodhimanda is the last spot to disappear, and will be the first to appear when the world emerges into existence again. Tradition also claims that a lotus will bloom there, and if a Buddha is born during that the new kalpak, the lotus flowers in accordance with the number of Buddha are expected to arise. According to legend, in the case of Gautama Buddha, a Bodhi tree sprang up on the day he was born.

Shore Temple - Tours of South India

The Shore Temple (built in 700–728 AD) is so named because it overlooks the shore of the Bay of Bengal. It is a structural temple, built with blocks of granite, dating from the 8th century AD. It was built on a promontory sticking out into the Bay of Bengal at Mahabalipuram, a village south of Chennai in the state of Tamil Nadu in India. At the time of its creation, the village was a busy port during the reign of Narasimhavarman II of the Pallava dynasty. As one of the Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram, it has been classified as a U

NESCO World Heritage Site since 1984. It is one of the oldest structural (versus rock-cut) stone temples of South India Tour.

Sailors gave the name Seven Pagodas to the Shore Temple when they saw this tall structure on the seashore, as the temple probably acted as a landmark for navigation of their ships. As it appears like a Pagoda, the name became familiar to the seafarers. This structural temple complex was the culmination of the architectural creations that were initiated by the King Narasimha Varma I (popularly called as Mammalla after whom the Mamallapuram town is named), in mid 7th century starting with the Cave temples and the monolithic Rathas.

Even though the architectural creation of sculpturing cut-in and cut-out structures continued during subsequent periods, as seen in the Atiranachanda cave, the Pidari rathas and the Tiger cave, the main credit for the architectural elegance of the Shore Temple complex in the category of structural temples goes to the King Rajasimha (700–28 AD), also known as Narasimhavarman II, of the Pallava Dynasty. It is now inferred that this temple complex was the last in a series of temples that seemed to exist in the submerged coastline; this is supported by the appearance of an outline of its sister temples off the coast during the Tsunami of 2004 which struck this coastline. The architecture of the Shore Temple was continued by the Cholas (in the temples that they built) who ruled Tamil Nadu after defeating the Pallavas.

The Tsunami of December 2004 that struck the coastline of Coromandel exposed an old collapsed temple built entirely of granite blocks. This has renewed speculation that Mahablaipuram was a part of the Seven Pagodas described in the dairies of Europeans, of which six temples remain submerged in the sea. The Tsunami also exposed some ancient rock sculptures of lions, elephants, and peacocks that used to decorate walls and temples during the Pallava period during the 7th and 8th centuries.

The Great Living Chola Temples Tours

The period of the imperial Cholas (c. 850 CE - 1250 CE) was an age of continuous improvement and refinement of the Dravidian art and architecture.The Cholas continued the temple building traditions of the Pallava dynasty and elevated the Dravidian temple design to greater heights.

They built temples such as the Brihadeshvara Temple of Thanjavur and Brihadeshvara Temple of Gangaikonda Cholapuram, the Airavatesvara Temple of Darasuram and the Sarabeswara (Shiva )Temple, also called the Kampahareswarar Temple at Thirubhuvanam, the last two temples being located near Kumbakonam. All the four temples were built over a period of nearly 200 years reflecting the glory, prosperity and stability under the Chola emperors.

The Great Living Chola Temples are important Hindu Temples that were built during the 10th through 12th centuries CE in the south of India Tour, and together have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The temples are the Brihadeeswarar Temple at Thanjavur, Brihadeeswarar temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram and the Airavatesvara Temple at Darasuram. The Brihadeeswarar temple was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. 

The Temple of Gangaikondacholisvaram and the Airavatesvarar temple were added as extensions to the site in 2004. The site is now known as the "Great Living Chola Temples".The temple "testify to the brilliant achievements of the Chola in architecture, sculpture, painting and bronze casting.

Mahabalipuram - Luxury Tour of South India

Mahabalipuram is a classic India Tours destination incredible where tourists come from far and wide. Its rich cultural heritage and breathtaking natural beauty make it a must-see destination of Tamil Nadu. Once you travel to Mahabalipuram, you will remember the travel experience for the rest of your life. Mahabalipuram tour is a famous tour of incredible India tourism.

The beauty of Mahabalipuram's architectural marvels earned it the title of UNESCO World Heritage Site. Once the capital of the Pallava kings of Kanchipuram this town is now a famous tourist attraction where people come to see the heritage left behind by the erstwhile rulers. The aesthetic appeal of the architectural monuments of this wonderful town draws many a tourist here.

It is the most mesmerizing attraction of this town which is steeped in rich beauty and history. Ideally nestled on the shore of Bay of Bengal amidst peaceful and beautiful environment. It is a five-storied temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and Vishnu. The temple reflects the perfect example of Dravidian style of architecture. The exquisite carvings and sculptures of the temple deserve mention.

Over the centuries some of the portions of the temple got ruined. But still the temple retains its old world charm. It looks all the more picturesque in evening when golden sun rays fall on it. The charm of this temple increases manifold with the annual celebration of the Mahabalipuram Dance Festival with the temple as its backdrop.

Five Chariots these are the arresting cave temples named after the five Pandavas, the mythological figures from the great Hindu epic Mahabharata. It is a World Heritage Site which was built in the 7th century. The carvings of these structures are truly mind-blowing. Mahabalipuram Dance Festival This offers a great opportunity to see the traditional dances of Luxury India Tour. Coinciding with the festival of Pongal (the harvest festival of Tamil Nadu), this festival is marked by dance performances by artists from all over India.