ROAD TRIP - MUMBAI TO TIRUPATI VIA HAMPI

HOME

VARAD VINAYAK IS ONE OF THE ASHTAVINAYAK TEMPLES .IT IS LOCATED IN THE MAHAD VILLAGE OF KARJAT.THIS IS THE ONLY TEMPLE WHERE DEVOTEES ARE ALLOWED TO PERSONALLY PAY THEIR HOMAGE AND RESPECTS TO THE IDOL.THEY ARE ALLOWED IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY OF THE IDOL TO PERFORM THEIR PRAYERS.

PANDHARPUR IS THE HOLY CITY ON THE BANKS OF RIVER BHIMA.THE MAIN DEITY FOR WORSHIP ARE THE VITHOBA AND RUKHMAI.ALL THE DEVOTEES ARE ALLOWED TO TOUCH THE FEET OF THE DEITY, CALLED AS PADH DARSHAN.

THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE HISTORIC CITY WAS LAID DOWN DURING THE CHALUKYAN DYNASTY.THE CITY EXPERIENCED BURST OF ARCHITECTURAL ACTIVITY DURING THE RULE OF ADIL SHAH.LOTS OF MONUMENTS FAMOUS GOL GUMBAZ JOD GUMBAZ MUSEUM MASJID FORTS AND GUNS.

BADAMI ALSO KNOWN AS VATAPI WAS THE CAPITAL OF THE CHALUKYAN EMPIRE.ATTRACTED BY THE SCENIC BEAUTY AND NATURAL DEFENCES PROVIDED BY THE MAJESTIC STANDING HILLSAND THE VAST SHEET OF WATER BELOW.ROCK CUT 4 CAVES DEPICTING IMAGES OF SHIVA VISHNU MAHAVIR , LAKE AND TEMPLES SPREAD ACROSS THE HILL AND MUSEUM.

THE TEMPLES WERE BUILT DURING 6TH TO 8TH CENTURY BY THE KINGS OF CHALUKYA DYNASTY, ARE DEDICATED TO LORD SHIVA.THERE ARE OVER TWO DOZEN TEMPLES SMALL AND BIG IN THE COMPLEX

THE GROUP OF MONUMENTS AT PATTADAKAL,A SPLENDID CONTRIBUTION BY THE CHALUKYAS OF BADAMI,LIES ON THE LEFT BANK OF RIVER MALAPRABHA AMIDST RUGGED YET PICTURESQUE LANDSCAPE.THE ANTIQUITY OF THE PLACE GOES BACK TO PRE-HISTORIC TIMES.THE GROUP OF MONUMENTS COMPRISES OF 10 TEMPLES OUT OF WHICH 8 FORM ONECLUSTER.PAPANATHA TEMPLE LIES ABOUT 0.5 KM WEST OF THE CLUSTER AND ANOTHER JAINA NARAYANA TEMPLE ABOUT 1.5 KMS.

IT IS A IMPORTANT CENTRE FOR PILGRIMAGE FOR THE PEOPLE OF THE LINGAYAT FAITH.THERE ARE IDOLS OF BASAVESWARA, NEELAMMA,NANDI AND GANAPATI.PILGRIMS EVEN ARRIVE ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT ANDTAKE BATH AT THE GHAT.

HAMPI CONTINUES TO BE IMPORTANT RELIGIOUS CENTRE HOUSING THE VIRUPAKSHA TEMPLE ( ABOVE) AS WELL AS SEVERAL OTHER MONUMENTS BELONGING OT THE OLD CITY.

DEVUNI KADAPA IS A PLACE BELIEVED TO BE DOORSTEP OF TIRUPATI.PILGRIMS STOP HERE TO PAY HOMMAGE TO PRESIDING DEITY.

THE BENEFITS ACQUIRED BY A PILIGRIMAGE TO THE TEMPLE ARE MENTIONED IN RIG VEDA AND ASTHADASA PURANAS. IN THESE EPICS, SRI VENKATESWARA IS DESCRIBED AS THE GREAT "BESTOWER OF BOONS".

MONILITHIC NANDI:BIGGEST NANDI IN INDIA MADE OUT OF SINGLE GRANITE STONE.IT STANDS15FT IN HEIGHT,27FT IN LENGTH AND FACES WEST, LOOKING TOWARDS THE NAGALINGA LOCATED INSIDETHE TEMPLE.IT IS DECORAT'D WITH NECKLACE,MUVVAHARA AND A HARA OF BELLS AND HAS SHORT HORNS.

ITAGI IS FAMOUS FOR ITS MAHADEVA TEMPLE BUILT IN 1112 AD BY A GENRAL CALLED MAHADEVA OF A CHALUKYA KING.THIS TEMPLE CAN BE SAID TO BE ONE OF THE BEST IN THE COUNTRY BOTH IN MAGNIFICENCE OF ITS ARCHITECTURAL STYLE AND LUXURIANT DECORATIVE DETAIL.EACH YEAR IT ATTRACTS VISITORS ALSO FROM FOREIGN COUNTRIES.ONE INSCRIPTION CALLS IT DEVALAYA CHAKRAVARTI (EMPEROR AMONG TEMPLES)

LAKKUNDI IS FULL OF RUINED TEMPLES.NOTABLE AMONG THEM ARE KASI-VISHWESHWARA TEMPLE AND BRAHMA JINALAYA

GADAG HAS PLACES OF RELIGIOUS AND HISTORIC IMPORTANCE LIKE THE VEERNARAYANA AND THE TRIKUTESHWARA TEMPLE COMPLEX.THERE IS A MOSQUE FROM THE TIME OF THE ADIL SHAHI AND A CHURCH OF THE BASEL MISSION.NEAR BY PLACES OF INTEREST ARE LAKKUNDI, ITAGI AND MAGADI BIRD SANTUARY.

THE CENTURY OLD TEMPLE OF GODDESS YELLAMMA OR RENUKA, IS SITUATED ATOP YELLAMAGUDA AMIDST RAMALINGA HILLS.EVERY DAY HUNDREDS OF PILGRIMS VISIT TEMPLE WITH GREAT DEVOTION.ALSO 18TH CENTURY OLD FORT.

GOKAK FALLS

KOLHAPUR TEMPLE

KARAD CAVES

"WAI" HAS A EPIC NAME AS DAKSHIN KASHI.IT IS KNOWN FOR ITSGHATS ON THE BANKS OF THE KRISHNA RIVER AND ITS TEMPLESESPECIALLY "THE DHOLYA GANAPATI TEMPLE ON THE GANAPATIGHAT.THE IDOL IS HUGE AND HAS A PLEASANT EXPRESSION.