KUDALA SANGAMA:

An inscription in the temple of 1213 A.D. records a gift to the god Acheshvara. Another stone
record of 1160 A.D. refers to land grant to deities, Kaleshvara and Achesvara.
It is believed that in the 12th century Jathaveda Muni Sarangamath had set up an education
centre here and Basaveshvara, Channabasavanna and Akkanagamma were students.
Basaveshvara spent his boyhood here and, after his return from Kalyana, he is said to have
became one with the God at this place. The vachanas composed by him are dedicated to the
presiding deity here, Sangamanatha.
GOLGUMBUS
Gol Gumbaz or Gol Gumbadh, from Persian Gol Gombadh meaning "round dome",[1] is
the mausoleum ofMohammed Adil Shah, Sultan of Bijapur. The tomb, located in Bijapur,
Karnataka in India, was completed in 1656 by thearchitect Yaqut of Dabul. Although
"impressively simple in design", it is the "structural triumph of Deccan architecture".[2
Gol Gumbaz has another amazing feature. Any sound at this place echoes for over
eleven times. Moreover you can even hear the tick of a watch across a distance of
37 meter in the vast dome. You can enjoy the picturesque landscape of the region
near Gol Gumbaz from its terrace which can be reached through the steps across
the
narrow
passages.
Apart from the burial chambers of Mohammed Adil Shah, his two wives, his
mistress Ramba, his daughter and grandson, the complex of Gol Gumbaz also
houses a mosque, a Naqqar Khana, a gateway and a dharamshala. The building in
front of the Gol Gumbaz has been turned into a museum that contains all the
history about the royal past related to Adilshah dynasty who constructed Gol
Gumbaz.
PANDARAPURA:
Pandharpur is one of the most prominent pilgrimage places in Maharashtra. It is located on the
banks of the Bhim river, which is alternatively known as Chandrabhg because of its halfmoon-like shape. The city is named after a great merchant, Pundalik, who achieved selfrealization there.[1]
Pandharpur, also known as Pandhari, hosts the renowned Vitthal temple on the banks of Bhim.
"Vithoba", "Pndurang", and "Pandharinth" are the popular alternate names of the deity,
Viththal, who is regarded in Hinduismas a form of Lord Krishna. Krishna is considered as an
incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Rakhumi or Rukmini is Viththal's consort in the temple.
The worship of Vitthal in the Pandharpur temple is based mainly on the contents of the Puranas,
and the contributions of the Vaishnav saints of Maharashtra and Karnataka during the 13th
through the 17th centuries. Some of these saints are Dnyaneshwar, Namdev, Gora
1

Kumbhar, Chokhamela, Eknath, Tukaram, Purandara Dasa, Vijaya Dasa, Gopala Dasa,
and Jagannatha Dasa.
The Pandharpur temple covers a large area and has six gates. The eastern gate is known as
the "Namdev Gate."
Pandharpur hosts four annual pilgrimages ("ytrs") of Hindu devotees. Among them, the
pilgrimage in the month of shdh (JuneJuly) in the Hindu calendar attracts the largest number
of pilgrimsaround 500,000 to 700,000 people. The pilgrimages in the months of Krtik
(OctoberNovember), Mgh (JanuaryFebruary) and Shrvan (JulyAugust) attract the second,
third and fourth largest numbers of pilgrims respectively
Long ago there was a brave king. His name was Muchkung. In the battle of Gods and Devils,
Gods demanded help of the king. Making a great feat the king gave a great victory to the Gods,
favorably disposed on his deed God told him to demand blessing. The king said, I am very tired,
I want to rest now. If anyone brings an obstacle in my rest, he will be burnt by my eyes. Then he
slept in cave, in the incarnation of Shree Krishna. The strongest cannot die devil Kalyavan who
by any weapons. Shree Krishna by trick brought him in where the king Muchkund and hide in
the darkness. Kalyavan came in the cave. He saw the shawl of Shree Krishna, so he gave a
strong kick to the king. As soon as the king Muchkund awakened from his sleep, he burnt the
devil by his eyes. Then Bhagavan Shree Krishna gave darshan to Muchkund. He told the king
all events. Then the king Muchkund begged to the Lord stand him as it is. Our Lord Shree
Krishna has him front of Muchkund, promised his to complete his desire in the next life.
Thus the king Muchkund was borne as the name of great devotee Pundlik. He lived in Dindir
forest which was near to Pandharpur. To complet the promise shree Krishna came in Dindir
forest, to find Rukmini. Pundalik hated his father and mother. His wife was an obstinate woman.
He was set off to Kashi pilgrimage with his wife. On the road he lived in the Hermitage of Kukkut
Muni. Kukkut Muni was a great devotee of his parents. He got a great strength by servicing of
his parents. Many sinful persons take bath in the river. So they want to become soared, Hence
our sacred rivers Ganga. Yamuna and Saraswati serviced in this heritage. It was experienced by
Pundlik that the rivers perched. He got knowledge and then he took a bath of service to His
parents. Then he returned to Pandhari. He devoted his entire life in the service of his parents.
Seeing of his devotion about his parents our Lord delighted on him. He came near the Pundliks
place, where he lived. He saw Pundlik lost in the service of his parents. Lord gave him darshan
and blessings. Pundlik prayed him to stand on brick stone and wait. Lord approved his pledge.
Pundlik put a stone brick for standing. The bank of Bhima River means the second Dwarka.
Our Lord Shree Krisna has changd his form and become Shree Vitthal. From that time our Lord
Vitthal has been standing on brick of his devotee Shree Pundlik. Vitthal means our Lord Shree
Krishna.
Vitthal Temple Pandharpur
The location of the temple is on the middle of the vitthal hill (Vitthal Tekadi). The temple was
very small in the period of Yadav. After 13th century the extension of temple might spread
according to the devotion of Lord Shri Vittal. It is difficult to say exact period of the construction
of the temple because a lack of proof. Different parts of the temple like Ganesh Mandap.
Subharna mandap and Garbhagar were built by different person. If we see the construction of
the temple, we will see the part is different from another.
Before some years there was narrow road and many allies around the temple. Therefore there
is a very rush. Then the rough outline of the city development has been prepared by the cooperation of Maharashtra Government. Now some improvements are being made. The
pradakshina marg and palkhi marg are made broad. The Road from S.T. stands Swa. Sawarkar
2

path has been divided into two parts are made broad. The face of the temple is on Eastern
direction. The east-west lengh of the temple is 350 feet and North-south length is 170 feet. The
hight is 25 to 32 feet. The peaks of the temple are high. The peaks have been decorated by
different idols of god and goddess and design. They have been painted. The blue and yellow
light flows have been thrown on the painted peaks. During the celebration days there is a
wonderful decoration of lights.
The temple has four doors for the entrance. The doors are used by different reason. On the east
side,
there
are
three
doors.
1) The main gate or first door is called Namdev darwaja. It is called Mahaddvar (a big door).
Here Namdev who was beloved of Lord Shri Vittal took self immolation in 1350 A.D. with his 14
family members. The step is called Namdev Payari. Every year anniversary day of Namdev is
celebrated. The step is ornamented by brass metal. The right side of step there is the idol of
Namdev. The pious people first take Darshan of this Namdev step without touching. There is a
stand of water on the right side of the steps called Vrundavan dam. Next of Namdev step there
is the self immolation of Saint Chokhamela. The urns of Saint Chokhamelas were brought by
Namdev built Chokhamelas immolation. The restoration of chokhobas immolation made by the
king of phaltan. He built a big umbrella. This reference is given on the immolation. In this area
there are two idols of Ganesh, Saraswati and two veergal besides of the chokhamela
immolation.
But
now
they
have
been
replaced.
2) On the right hand of the Namdev step there is a big Indian fig tree. There is eastern face door
adjacent of the temple which we can go into the temple. New Darshan mantap. A bridge has
been
built
between
Darshan
Mantap
and
the
temple.
3) The third eastern face door which we call Tati Door. If you enter through this door, you will
see Kanhopatra temple, Laxmi Mandir and Venkoba Temple. The temple has two doors on
southern side. 1) First door for the ladies. 2) Second joined to Bajirao Padsali.
There is big and only one main door at the western side. It is called Paschim dvar. The
vehicles stop here coming from S.T. stand and Choufula. You can park you vehicles there. This
door is used for exit during celebrations.
On the Northern side there are three main doors.
Rukmini door.
Rukmini Gopur door. If you can enter through this door, you will see the red stone
Rukmini Sabha Mandap. Here religious rities like. A narration punctuated by music (Kirtan),
pearching of the devotion etc. is carried out.
The entrance door of Bodhlebuvas verandha.

Rukmini Temple
After climbing the steps of Rukmini Temple, you can see the Rahi and Satyabhama temples.
The idols are very beautiful and attractive. Besides the sanctuary of Rukmini temple, there are
main four parts of the temple.
1.
Main Sanctuary
2.

Middle House

3.

Main pavilion

4.

Sabha Mandap on the north side a room which is a bedroom of Rukminimata.

5. The doors of the bedroom are covered by silver sheet. There is a silver cot and velvet
bed. A square beautiful step is in the sanctuary, Beautiful where goddess Shri Rukminis
idol stands up. Her face is towards the east. Her hands are on her waist. After daily
worshiping she wears ornaments and cloths. Her face is cheerful and after seen, her
face the pious people says Aaisaheb or Matoshri. The pious people plead her
3

blessing. After darshan you can go the back side of the temple where you can take
darshan of the peak. Then you can enter into sabha mandap. Recently the
Sabhamandap has been artificially built by red stone. You will get to see many pictures
of Rukminimata. The pictures are based on the wedding story of Goddess
Rukminimata, the beautiful attraction of Rukminimata Temple. The beautiful pictures of
Goddess attract the pious people. There is a high stand lamp.
6. Within four months from July to Octombar and Navratra Mahostav many religious
programs are held in Sabhamandap. During this period she is worshipped daily by
different ways. The Sabhamandap is decorated by various blossoms of flowers.
7. There is a same place after you come upwards, there are many small rooms, and in
these rooms you can see small idols if great Hindu Gods and Goddesses. At the end of
this space there is a door. Through this door you can enter this Solkhambhi. There you
will find an ancient inscription. You can see the names of donors on the inscription. The
pious people rub their back on this inscription. They believe that after rubbing back a
man can be freed from human life. In fact the inscription is becoming indistrct by rubbing
the back of pious people. Now a days an iron net covered on the inscription.
8. After taking darshan of all gods and goddesses you can come in Solkhambahi where
you can take darshan again of Lord Shri Vitthal.This Solkhambi has 3 doors on the side.
On right side you can see again an important inscription.
After Darshan the pious people come in Mahaddwar where there are small temples of Shri
Kalbhairavnth, Shri Shanaishwar, Shri Shakambari, and next Shri Kanhobaraya. You can
see a newly constructed shri Saint Narahari Sonar Temple in front of Kanhobaraya Temple.
The temple is maintained by the goldsmith society. There is a historical tradition behind this
temple. Near to the Narhari Sonar Temple there is a temple of Shri Malikarjun. A famous Saint
Narahari Sonar daily worshipped the Shivaling. He had a house and shop. He was stubborn
devotee of Lord Shiv. Lord Vitthal gave him darshan of the Shivling through idol of himself; from
that day Shiv and Vishnu had united. Therefore the gift of this is the meaning of Har and Hari,
our Lord Vithhal has possessed Shivling on his head as symbol of meeting. There was Long
ago there was a brave king. His name was Muchkung. In the battle of Gods and Devils, Gods
demanded help of the king. Making a great feat the king gave a great victory to the Gods,
favorably disposed on his deed God told him to demand blessing. The king said, I am very tired,
I want to rest now. If anyone brings an obstacle in my rest, he will be burnt by my eyes. Then he
slept in cave, in the incarnation of Shree Krishna. The strongest cannot die devil Kalyavan who
by any weapons. Shree Krishna by trick brought him in where the king Muchkund and hide in
the darkness. Kalyavan came in the cave. He saw the shawl of Shree Krishna, so he gave a
strong kick to the king. As soon as the king Muchkund awakened from his sleep, he burnt the
devil by his eyes. Then Bhagavan Shree Krishna gave darshan to Muchkund. He told the king
all events. Then the king Muchkund begged to the Lord stand him as it is. Our Lord Shree
Krishna has him front of Muchkund, promised his to complete his desire in the next life.
Thus the king Muchkund was borne as the name of great devotee Pundlik. He lived in Dindir
forest which was near to Pandharpur. To complet the promise shree Krishna came in Dindir
forest, to find Rukmini. Pundalik hated his father and mother. His wife was an obstinate woman.
He was set off to Kashi pilgrimage with his wife. On the road he lived in the Hermitage of Kukkut
Muni. Kukkut Muni was a great devotee of his parents. He got a great strength by servicing of
his parents. Many sinful persons take bath in the river. So they want to become soared, Hence
our sacred rivers Ganga. Yamuna and Saraswati serviced in this heritage. It was experienced by
4

Pundlik that the rivers perched. He got knowledge and then he took a bath of service to His
parents. Then he returned to Pandhari. He devoted his entire life in the service of his parents.
Seeing of his devotion about his parents our Lord delighted on him. He came near the Pundliks
place, where he lived. He saw Pundlik lost in the service of his parents. Lord gave him darshan
and blessings. Pundlik prayed him to stand on brick stone and wait. Lord approved his pledge.
Pundlik put a stone brick for standing. The bank of Bhima River means the second Dwarka.
Our Lord Shree Krisna has changd his form and become Shree Vitthal. From that time our Lord
Vitthal has been standing on brick of his devotee Shree Pundlik. Vitthal means our Lord Shree
Krishna.
Vitthal Temple Pandharpur
The location of the temple is on the middle of the vitthal hill (Vitthal Tekadi). The temple was
very small in the period of Yadav. After 13th century the extension of temple might spread
according to the devotion of Lord Shri Vittal. It is difficult to say exact period of the construction
of the temple because a lack of proof. Different parts of the temple like Ganesh Mandap.
Subharna mandap and Garbhagar were built by different person. If we see the construction of
the temple, we will see the part is different from another.
Before some years there was narrow road and many allies around the temple. Therefore there
is a very rush. Then the rough outline of the city development has been prepared by the cooperation of Maharashtra Government. Now some improvements are being made. The
pradakshina marg and palkhi marg are made broad. The Road from S.T. stands Swa. Sawarkar
path has been divided into two parts are made broad. The face of the temple is on Eastern
direction. The east-west lengh of the temple is 350 feet and North-south length is 170 feet. The
hight is 25 to 32 feet. The peaks of the temple are high. The peaks have been decorated by
different idols of god and goddess and design. They have been painted. The blue and yellow
light flows have been thrown on the painted peaks. During the celebration days there is a
wonderful decoration of lights.
The temple has four doors for the entrance. The doors are used by different reason. On the east
side,
there
are
three
doors.
1) The main gate or first door is called Namdev darwaja. It is called Mahaddvar (a big door).
Here Namdev who was beloved of Lord Shri Vittal took self immolation in 1350 A.D. with his 14
family members. The step is called Namdev Payari. Every year anniversary day of Namdev is
celebrated. The step is ornamented by brass metal. The right side of step there is the idol of
Namdev. The pious people first take Darshan of this Namdev step without touching. There is a
stand of water on the right side of the steps called Vrundavan dam. Next of Namdev step there
is the self immolation of Saint Chokhamela. The urns of Saint Chokhamelas were brought by
Namdev built Chokhamelas immolation. The restoration of chokhobas immolation made by the
king of phaltan. He built a big umbrella. This reference is given on the immolation. In this area
there are two idols of Ganesh, Saraswati and two veergal besides of the chokhamela
immolation.
But
now
they
have
been
replaced.
2) On the right hand of the Namdev step there is a big Indian fig tree. There is eastern face door
adjacent of the temple which we can go into the temple. New Darshan mantap. A bridge has
been
built
between
Darshan
Mantap
and
the
temple.
3) The third eastern face door which we call Tati Door. If you enter through this door, you will
see Kanhopatra temple, Laxmi Mandir and Venkoba Temple. The temple has two doors on
southern side. 1) First door for the ladies. 2) Second joined to Bajirao Padsali.
There is big and only one main door at the western side. It is called Paschim dvar. The
vehicles stop here coming from S.T. stand and Choufula. You can park you vehicles there. This
door is used for exit during celebrations.
On the Northern side there are three main doors.
Rukmini door.
5

Rukmini Gopur door. If you can enter through this door, you will see the red stone
Rukmini Sabha Mandap. Here religious rities like. A narration punctuated by music (Kirtan),
pearching of the devotion etc. is carried out.
The entrance door of Bodhlebuvas verandha.

Rukmini Temple
After climbing the steps of Rukmini Temple, you can see the Rahi and Satyabhama temples.
The idols are very beautiful and attractive. Besides the sanctuary of Rukmini temple, there are
main four parts of the temple.
9.
Main Sanctuary
10.

Middle House

11.

Main pavilion

12.

Sabha Mandap on the north side a room which is a bedroom of Rukminimata.

13. The doors of the bedroom are covered by silver sheet. There is a silver cot and velvet
bed. A square beautiful step is in the sanctuary, Beautiful where goddess Shri Rukminis
idol stands up. Her face is towards the east. Her hands are on her waist. After daily
worshiping she wears ornaments and cloths. Her face is cheerful and after seen, her
face the pious people says Aaisaheb or Matoshri. The pious people plead her
blessing. After darshan you can go the back side of the temple where you can take
darshan of the peak. Then you can enter into sabha mandap. Recently the
Sabhamandap has been artificially built by red stone. You will get to see many pictures
of Rukminimata. The pictures are based on the wedding story of Goddess
Rukminimata, the beautiful attraction of Rukminimata Temple. The beautiful pictures of
Goddess attract the pious people. There is a high stand lamp.
14. Within four months from July to Octombar and Navratra Mahostav many religious
programs are held in Sabhamandap. During this period she is worshipped daily by
different ways. The Sabhamandap is decorated by various blossoms of flowers.
15. There is a same place after you come upwards, there are many small rooms, and in
these rooms you can see small idols if great Hindu Gods and Goddesses. At the end of
this space there is a door. Through this door you can enter this Solkhambhi. There you
will find an ancient inscription. You can see the names of donors on the inscription. The
pious people rub their back on this inscription. They believe that after rubbing back a
man can be freed from human life. In fact the inscription is becoming indistrct by rubbing
the back of pious people. Now a days an iron net covered on the inscription.
16. After taking darshan of all gods and goddesses you can come in Solkhambahi where
you can take darshan again of Lord Shri Vitthal.This Solkhambi has 3 doors on the side.
On right side you can see again an important inscription.
17. After Darshan the pious people come in Mahaddwar where there are small temples of
Shri Kalbhairavnth, Shri Shanaishwar, Shri Shakambari, and next Shri
Kanhobaraya. You can see a newly constructed shri Saint Narahari Sonar Temple in
front of Kanhobaraya Temple. The temple is maintained by the goldsmith society. There
is a historical tradition behind this temple. Near to the Narhari Sonar Temple there is a
temple of Shri Malikarjun. A famous Saint Narahari Sonar daily worshipped the
Shivaling. He had a house and shop. He was stubborn devotee of Lord Shiv. Lord
6

Vitthal gave him darshan of the Shivling through idol of himself; from that day Shiv and
Vishnu had united. Therefore the gift of this is the meaning of Har and Hari, our Lord
Vithhal has possessed Shivling on his head as symbol of meeting. There was a big
village gate. In road widening the gate was fallen down.
SHANISIGNAPUR:
Shani Shingnapur[1] or Shani Shinganapur[2] or Shingnapur[3] or Sonai is a village in
the Indian state ofMaharashtra. Situated in Nevasa taluka in Ahmednagar district, the village is
known for its popular temple of Shani, the Hindu god of the planet (graha) Saturn. Shingnapur is
35 km from Ahmednagar city.
Shingnapur is also famous for the fact that no house in the village has doors, only door frames.
Despite this, no theft was reported in the village[4] until 2010 when cash and items worth Rs.
35000/- were stolen for a vehicle,[5][6] and again in 2011 when Rs. 50000/-, gold rings, mobile
phone, etc. was stolen from the home of a retired official of the Shree Shanaishwar Deosthan
Trust itself![7] Still some villagers never keep their valuables under lock and key. Villagers believe
that the temple is a "jagrut devasthan" (lit. "alive temple"), meaning that the god here is very
powerful. They believe that god Shani punishes anyone attempting theft.[4] The deity here is
"Swayambhu" (Sanskrit: self-evolved deity) that is self emerged from earth in form of black but
imposing stone. Though no one knows the exact period, it is believed that
the Swayambhu Shanaishwara statue was found from times immemorial by shepherds of the
then local hamlet. It is believed to be in existence at least since Kali yuga. Though there has
been reports of thefts in Oct 2010[5][6] and Feb 2011.[7]
The village has a post office and a high school known as Shri Shanishwar Vidya Mandir besides
the primary schools run by the Zilla Parishad. The chief source of water supply in the villages is
wells.[4]
In January 2011, the United Commercial (UCO) Bank opened a 'lockless' branch in the village,
the first of its kind in the country, taking note of the near-zero crime rate in the region. The local
police were reported to be unhappy over this development and that it amounted to a breach of
conditions, because the Central government of India has made it mandatory for all banks to
have high security.The bank has doors,but they will always remain open. However, it was
reported by the local legislator and the bank officials that adequate precautions were being
taken for the safety of lockers and important documents. [8]
Historical Importance
The story of the swayambhu statue handed down from generations through word of mouth,
goes something like this: When the Shepherd touched the stone with a pointed rod, the stone
started bleeding. The shepherds were astounded. Soon the whole village gathered around to
watch the miracle. On that night Lord Shanaishwara appeared in the dream of the most devoted
and pious of the shepherds.
He told the shepherd that he is "Shanaishwara". He also told that the unique looking black stone
is his swayambhu form. The shepherd prayed and asked the lord whether he should construct a
temple for him. To this, Lord Shani Mahatma said there is no need for a roof as the whole sky is
his roof and he preferred to be under open sky. He asked the shephered to do daily pooja and
7

'Tailabhisheka' every Saturday without fail. He also promised the whole hamlet will have no fear
of dacoits or burglars or thieves.
So, Lord Shanaishwara can be seen even today, in the open yard without any roof above. To
this day, there are no doors for any houses, shops, temples.[citation needed] It is to be seen to believe
that even post office has no door, not to speak of locks. Due to the fear of Lord Shani, none of
the structures, be it dwelling houses, huts, shops, etc. situated within one kilometer radius of
this Lord Shani temple have neither doors nor locks.[citation needed] No thievery or burglary was
reported until 2010 when first theft was reported [5][6] and again another one was reported in
2011.[7] Some who have tried to steal have died vomiting blood within minutes of their act and
before they could cross the boundary.[citation needed] Many others are said have received varied
punishments such as long sickness, mental imbalance etc.[citation needed]
This Shani Shingnapur is visited daily by thousands of devotees praying for Lord Shaneswara's
favour. The place is busiest on Saturdays. Shani Trayodasi is considered to be a favorite day for
the lord. Similarly Saturday falling on 'Amavasya'(new moon day in Sanskrit and many other
Indian languages) is considered to be a favorites day for the Lord Shanaishwara. Thousands of
devotees seeking his blessings throng this temple in thousands.
Shrine of Shani
The shrine for Shani consists of a five and a half feet high black rock installed on an open-air
platform, which symbolizes the god Shani. A Trishula (trident) is placed along the side of the
image and a Nandi (bull) image is on the south side. In front are the small images
of Shiva and Hanuman.[4]
Generally, the temple has 3045000 visitors a day, which swells to around three lakh (i.e. three
hundred thousand) onamavasya (the new moon day), believed to be the most auspicious day to
appease Lord Shani.[1] The village holds a fair in honour of the deity on this day. A bigger festival
is held on new moon days that fall on Saturdays. Devotees bathe Lord Shani's image with water
and oil and offer flowers, and udid to him. A palanquin procession of Shani is held on the day of
the fair.[4] Other festivals include the birthday of Shani, Shani Jayanti.[1]
The shrine gained popularity with the decade-old film Surya Putra Shanidev made by the film
producer Late Gulshan Kumar.[1]
MINI TAJMAHAL AURANGABAD
Situated about 5 kms from the city is Bibi Ka Maqbara, the burial place of Aurangzeb's 1st wife,
Rabia-ud-Durrani. It is an imitation of the Taj at Agra, termed as the poor man's Taj Mahal.
Located behind the mausoleum is a small archeological museum. This mausoleum is also
termed as 'poor man's Taj Mahal' owing to it being a poor replica of the Taj. Behind the
mausoleum is located a small archeological museum. Emperor Aurangzeb's son built this
monument in 1679 AD in memory of his mother Rabia (Aurangzeb's wife).
The Bibi-Ka-Maqbara is made mostly of sandstone and has plastered walls (a cost cutting
measure), and a marble dome. The expert - Ustad Ata-mullahs came from Persia. Bibi Ka
Maqbara is known as the South Indian Taj. However, if the delicacy of work is compared, it falls
8

far short of the glory of the Taj at Agra. Below the tomb, lattice works are in marble. However,
the lattice work and inlay decorations of flowers and creepers are beautiful. The Masjid is to the
west. A high wall with bastions runs around edifice and the recesses have little minarets. The
entrance leads to an arch and from this point, a fine view of the structure ahead may be
obtained. The pavement that leads to mausoleum is flanked by oblong reservoirs.
The interior decoration has nothing comparable with the great architectural wonder at Agra. Yet
a comparison apart, Bibi-ka-Maqbara has its own splendour and grace. It is considered as a fine
piece of Moghul architecture in the Deccan region.
Bibi Ka Maqbara (Urdu: " Tomb of the Lady") is a maqbara located
in Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India. It was commissioned by the sixth Mughal
Emperor Aurangzeb in the late 17th century in the memory of his first wife, Dilras Banu
Begum (posthumously known as Rabia-ud-Daurani).[1][2] It bears a striking resemblance to the
famous Taj Mahal, the mausoleum of his mother, Mumtaz Mahal. Aurangzeb was not very
interested in architecture, though he had built the small, but elegant, Pearl Mosque at Delhi. The
Bibi Ka Maqbara was the largest structure that he had to his credit.[1]
The comparison to the Taj Mahal has often obscured its very own considerable charm.[3] Due to
its strong resemblance to the Taj Mahal, it is also called the Dakkhani Taj (Taj of the Deccan).
[4]
Bibi Ka Maqbara is the principal monument of Aurangabad and its historic city.[2][5] An
inscription found on the main entrance door mentions that this mausoleum was designed and
erected by Ata-ullah, an architect and Hanspat Rai, an engineer respectively.[4] Ata-ullah was the
son ofUstad Ahmad Lahauri, the principal designer of the Taj Mahal.
History
Bibi ka Maqbara is believed to be built between 1651 and 1661 C.E. According to the "Tarikh
Namah" of Ghulam Mustafa, the cost of construction of the mausoleum was Rs. 6,68,203-7
(Rupees Six Lakh, Sixty Eight Thousand, Two Hundred and Three & Seven Annas) -Aurangzeb allocated only Rs. 7,00,000 for its construction.[6] An inscription found on the main
entrance door mentions that this mausoleum was designed and erected by Ata-ullah, an
architect and Hanspat Rai, an engineer respectively. The marble for this mausoleum was
brought from mines near Jaipur. According toTavernier, around three hundred carts laden with
marbles, drawn by at least 12 oxen were seen by him during his journey from Surat to
Golconda. The mausoleum was intended to rival the Taj Mahal, but, the decline in architecture
and proportions of the structure (both due to the severe budgetary constraints imposed by
Aurangzeb) had resulted in a poor copy of the latter
Structure
The mausoleum is laid out in a Charbagh layout and stands at the centre of a huge enclosure
measuring approximately 458 m. N-S X 275 m. E-W. Baradaris or pillared pavilions are located
at the centre of north, east and western part of the enclosure wall. The high enclosure wall is
crenellated with pointed arched recesses and bastions at regular intervals. The recesses are
divided by pilasters, crowned with small minarets. The mausoleum is built on a high square
platform with four minarets at its corners, which is approached by a flight of steps from the three
9

sides. A mosque is found to the west of the main structure, which was a later addition caused by
the Nizam of Hyderabad, resulting in closure of the entrance from the west side.
Entry to the mausoleum is through a main entrance gate on its south, which has foliage designs
on brass plate on wood covering from the exterior. After passing through the entrance a small
tank is provided and a low profile screen wall leads to the main structure. The screened
pathway has a series of fountains at its centre.
The mausoleum is encased with marble up to the dado level. Above the dado level, it is
constructed of basaltic trap up to the base of dome; the latter is again built of marble. A fine
plaster covers the basaltic trap and given a fine polished finish and adorned with fine stucco
decorations. The mortal remains of Rabia Daurani are placed below the ground level
surrounded by an octagonal marble screen with exquisite designs, which can be approached by
a descending flight of steps. The roof of this chamber that corresponds to the ground level of the
mausoleum is pierced by an octagonal opening and given a low barricaded marble screen. This
makes the tomb viewable from the ground level through this octagonal opening. The
mausoleum is crowned by a dome pierced with trellis works and accompanying panels
decorated with flower designs.[
ELLORA CAVES:
Ellora[pronunciation?] (Marathi: Vrl a
),(Kannada: Elapura)is an archaeological site,
29 km (18 mi) North-West of the city of Aurangabad in the Indian state of Maharashtra built by
the Rashtrakuta dynasty. It is also known as Elapura (in the Rashtrakuta literature-Kannada).
Well known for its monumental caves, Ellora is a World Heritage Site.[1]Ellora represents the
epitome of Indian rock-cut architecture. The 34 "caves" are actually structures excavated out of
the vertical face of the Charanandri hills. Buddhist, Hindu and Jain rock-cut temples
and viharas and mathas were built between the 5th century and 10th century. The 12 Buddhist
(caves 112), 17 Hindu (caves 1329) and 5 Jain (caves 3034) caves, built in proximity,
demonstrate the religious harmony prevalent during this period of Indian history.[2] It is a
protected monument under the Archaeological Survey of India
History
Ellora is known for Hindu, Buddhist and Jain cave temples built during (6th and 9th centuries)
the rule of the Kalachuri, Chalukya and Rashtrakuta dynasties. TheJagannatha Sabha a group
of five Jain cave temples of 9th century built by Rashtrakuta
The Buddhist caves
These caves were built during the 5th-7th century. It was initially thought that the Buddhist
caves were one of the earliest structures, created between the fifth and eighth centuries, with
caves 1-5 in the first phase (400-600) and 6-12 in the later phase (mid 7th-mid 8th), but now it is
clear to the modern scholars that some of the Hindu caves (27,29,21,28,19,26,20,17 and 14)
precede these caves.[citation needed] The earliest Buddhist cave is Cave 6, followed by 5,2,3,5 (right
wing), 4,7,8,10 and 9. Caves 11 and 12 were the last. All the Buddhist caves were constructed
between 630-700.[6]
10

These structures consist mostly of viharas or monasteries: large, multi-storeyed buildings

carved into the mountain face, including living quarters, sleeping quarters, kitchens, and other
rooms. Some of these monastery caves have shrines including carvings of Gautama
Buddha, bodhisattvas and saints. In many of these caves, sculptors have endeavoured to give
the stone the look of wood.[7]
Most famous of the Buddhist caves is cave 10,(refer map) a chaitya hall (chandrashala) or
'Vishvakarma cave', popularly known as the 'Carpenter's Cave'. Beyond its multi-storeyed entry
is a cathedral-like stupa hall also known as chaitya, whose ceiling has been carved to give the
impression of wooden beams. At the heart of this cave is a 15-foot statue of Buddha seated in a
preaching pose. Amongst other Buddhist caves, all of the first nine (caves 19) are monasteries.
The last two caves, Do Tal (cave 11) and Tin Tal (cave 12) have three stories
Cave 10
Cave 10 is a vihara with eight cells, four in the back wall and four in the right wall. It had a
portico in the front with a cell.[6] Possibly served as a granary for other viharas.
The Vishwakarma
The Vishwakarma (Cave 10) is the only chaitya griha amongst the Buddhist group of caves. It is
locally known as Vishwakarma or Sutar ka jhopda "carpenter's hut". It follows the pattern of
construction of Caves 19 and 26 of Ajanta. On stylistic grounds, the date of construction of this
cave is assigned to 700 A.D. The chaitya once had a high screen wall, which is ruined at
present. At the front is a rock-cut court, which is entered through a flight of steps. On either side
are pillared porticos with chambers in their back walls. These were probably intended to have
subsidiary shrines but not completed. The pillaredverandah of the chaitya has a small shrine at
either end and a single cell in the far end of the back wall. The corridor columns have massive
squarish shafts and ghata-pallava (vase and foliage) capitals. The main hall is apsidal on plan
and is divided into a central nave and side aisles by 28 octagonal columns with plain bracket
capitals. In the apsidal end of the chaitya hall is a stupa on the face of which a colossal 3.30 m
high seated Buddha in vyakhyana mudra (teaching posture) is carved. A largeBodhi tree is
carved at the back. The hall has a vaulted roof in which ribs have been carved in the rock
imitating the wooden ones.[8]
ELLORA JYOTHIRLINGA

A Jyotirlinga or Jyotirling or Jyotirlingam (Sanskrit: ) is a devotional object

representing the god Shiva. Jyoti means 'radiance' and lingam the 'mark or sign' of Shiva, or a
symbol of the pineal gland; Jyotir Lingam thus means the The Radiant sign of The Almighty.
There are twelve traditional Jyotirlinga shrines in India.
It is believed that Lord Shiva first manifested himself as a Jyotirlinga on the night of the Aridra
Nakshatra, thus the special reverence for the Jyotirlinga. There is nothing to distinguish the
appearance, but it is believed that a person can see these lingas as columns of fire piercing
through the earth after he reaches a higher level of spiritual attainment
Legend
11

According to iva Mahpurn a, once Brahma (the God of creation) and Vishnu (the God of
Preservation) had an argument over supremacy of creation.[1] To test them, Shiva pierced the
three worlds as a huge endless pillar of light, the jyotirlinga. Vishnu and Brahma split their ways
to downwards and upwards respectively to find the end of the light in either directions. Brahma
lied that he found out the end, while Vishnu conceded his defeat. Shiva appeared as a second
pillar of light and cursed Brahma that he would have no place in ceremonies while Vishnu would
be worshipped till the end of eternity. The jyotirlinga is the supreme partless reality, out of which
Shiva partly appears. The jyothirlinga shrines thus are places where Shiva appeared as a fiery
column of light.[2][3] Originally there were believed to be 64 jyothirlingas while 12 of them are
considered to be very auspicious and holy.[1] Each of the twelve jyothirlinga sites take the name
of the presiding deity, each considered a different manifestation of Shiva.[4] At all these sites, the
primary image is lingam representing the beginningless and endless Stambha pillar, symbolizing
the infinite nature of Shiva.[4][5][6] The
twelve jyothirlinga are Somnath in Gujarat,Mallikarjuna at Srisailam in Andra
Pradesh, Mahakaleswar at Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh, Omkareshwar in Madhya
Pradesh, Kedarnath in Himalayas, Bhimashankar in Maharashtra, Viswanath at Varanasi in Utta
r Pradesh,Triambakeshwar in Maharashtra, Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga at parali in
maharashtra , Aundha Nagnath at Aundha
Nagnathin Maharashtra, Rameshwar at Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu and Ghrushneshwar at
ellora near aurangabad in Maharashtra. Kedarnath and Pashupatinath (Nepal) are considered
half jyotirlingas counted together as one. There is also one new Jyotirlinga shrine
"Bhubaneswar-Bhubaneswari" temple at Mathurapur, P/O- Balarampur, near Sundarban, 24
Parganas (South), W.B.
SHIRDI:
Shri Sai Baba of Shirdi (1838 15 October 1918; resided in Shirdi), also known as Shirdi Sai
Baba, was a spiritual master who was and is regarded by his devotees as a
saint, fakir, avatar (an incarnation of God), orsadguru, according to their individual proclivities
and beliefs. He was revered by both his Muslim and Hindu devotees, and during, as well as
after, his life on earth it remained uncertain if he was a Muslim or Hindu himself. This however
was of no consequence to Sai Baba himself.[1] Sai Baba stressed the importance of surrender to
the guidance of the true Sadguru or Murshad, who, having gone the path to divine
consciousness himself, will lead the disciple through the jungle of spiritual training.[2]
Sai Baba remains a very popular saint,[3] especially in India, and is worshiped by people around
the world. He had no love for perishable things and his sole concern was self-realization. He
taught a moral code of love, forgiveness, helping others, charity, contentment, inner peace, and
devotion to God and guru. He gave no distinction based on religion or caste. Sai Baba's
teaching combined elements of Hinduism and Islam: he gave the Hindu name Dwarakamayi to
the mosque he lived in,[4] practised Muslim rituals, taught using words and figures that drew from
both traditions, and was buried in Shirdi. One of his well known epigrams, "Malik Ek" ("One God
governs all"), is associated with Islam and Sufism. He also said, "Trust in me and your prayer
shall be answered". He always uttered "Allah Malik" ("God is King").
Background
No verifiable information is given regarding Sai Baba's real name, place or time of birth. When
asked about his past, he often gave elusive responses. The name "Sai" was given to him upon
his arrival at Shirdi, a town in the west Indian state ofMaharashtra. Mahalsapati, a local temple
12

priest, recognised him as a Muslim saint and greeted him with the words 'Ya Sai!', meaning
'Welcome Sai!'. Sai or Sayi is a Persian title given to Sufi saints, meaning 'poor one'[5] and in
Banjara language, "sayi" means good one.[citation needed] The honorific "Baba" means "father;
grandfather; old man; sir" in most Indian and Middle Eastern languages. Thus Sai Baba denotes
"holy father", "saintly father" or "poor old man".[1]Alternatively, the Sindhi and Urdu word "s.n" (
), an honorific title for a virtuoso, a saint, or a feudal lord (i.e. a patron), is derived from
the Persian word "syeh", which literally means "shadow" but figuratively refers to patronage or
protection. The Hindi-Urdu word "sy" comes from the same borrowing. Thus, it could also
mean "Master Father." However, S may also be an acronym of the Sanskrit term "Sakshat
Eshwar", a reference to God. Sakshat means "incarnate" and Eshwar means "God".
Some of Sai Baba's disciples became famous as spiritual figures and saints, such as
Mahalsapati, a priest of theKhandoba temple in Shirdi, and Upasni Maharaj. He was revered by
other saints, such as Saint Bidkar Maharaj, Saint Gangagir, Saint Janakidas Maharaj, and Sati
Godavari Mataji.[6][7] Sai Baba referred to several saints as 'my brothers', especially the disciples
of Swami Samartha of Akkalkot
NASIK
No verifiable information is given regarding Sai Baba's real name, place or time of birth. When
asked about his past, he often gave elusive responses. The name "Sai" was given to him upon
his arrival at Shirdi, a town in the west Indian state ofMaharashtra. Mahalsapati, a local temple
priest, recognised him as a Muslim saint and greeted him with the words 'Ya Sai!', meaning
'Welcome Sai!'. Sai or Sayi is a Persian title given to Sufi saints, meaning 'poor one'[5] and in
Banjara language, "sayi" means good one.[citation needed] The honorific "Baba" means "father;
grandfather; old man; sir" in most Indian and Middle Eastern languages. Thus Sai Baba denotes
"holy father", "saintly father" or "poor old man".[1]Alternatively, the Sindhi and Urdu word "s.n" (
), an honorific title for a virtuoso, a saint, or a feudal lord (i.e. a patron), is derived from
the Persian word "syeh", which literally means "shadow" but figuratively refers to patronage or
protection. The Hindi-Urdu word "sy" comes from the same borrowing. Thus, it could also
mean "Master Father." However, S may also be an acronym of the Sanskrit term "Sakshat
Eshwar", a reference to God. Sakshat means "incarnate" and Eshwar means "God".
Some of Sai Baba's disciples became famous as spiritual figures and saints, such as
Mahalsapati, a priest of theKhandoba temple in Shirdi, and Upasni Maharaj. He was revered by
other saints, such as Saint Bidkar Maharaj, Saint Gangagir, Saint Janakidas Maharaj, and Sati
Godavari Mataji.[6][7] Sai Baba referred to several saints as 'my brothers', especially the disciples
of Swami Samartha of Akkalkot
A Historical Perspective
Nashik has mythological, historical, social and cultural importance. The city is situated on the
banks of the Godavari River, making it one of the holiest places for Hindus all over the world.
Nashik has a rich historical past, as the mythology has it that Lord Rama, the King of Ayodhya,
made Nashik his abode during his 14 years in exile. At the same place Lord Laxman, by the
wish of Lord Rama, cut the nose of "Shurpnakha" and thus this city was named as "Nashik".
After the fall of the Satavahana empire, the Abhiras or Ahirs ruled in the north east and
the Chutus in Maharashtra and Kuntala. The Puranas state that ten Abhiras ruled for, 67 years.
The Nasik inscription peaks of king Madhuriputra Ishvarasena, the Abhir and a son of
13

Shivadatla. This dynasty originated in A. D. 249-50, an era called Kalachuri or Chedi in later
times.[1]
In Kritayuga, Nashik was 'Trikantak', 'Janasthana' in Dwaparyuga and later in Kuliyuga it
became 'Navashikh' or 'Nashik'. Classical Sanskrit poets
like Valmiki,Klidsa and Bhavabhuti have paid rich tributes here. In 150 BC Nashik was the
country's largest market place. From 1487 A.D, the province came under the rule of Mughals
and was known as Gulshanabad. It was also home of Emperor Akbar who wrote at length about
Nashik in Ein-e-Akbari. It was also known as the 'Land of the Brave' during the regime
of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
Panchavati Nashik
Panchavati is believed to be a shelter to Lord Ram, Lakshman, and Sita during their exile.
River Godavari flows through Nashik and its Northern part is called as Panchavati.There are five
(Pancham) Banyan trees (Vat Vriksha) and hence the area is called Pancha-vati.It is believed to
be a part of the Dandakaranya Forest, Since this place acquire a prominent place in the epic,
people frequent here to take a holy dip so that they will be cleansed from their sins.

Attrations at Panchavati are

Sita Gumpha
Here Sita is said to have stayed for some time. It is believed to be the place where Sita was
kidnapped by the demon king Ravana. The literal connotation of Gufaa is a cave and it is located
at the western side door of Kalaram Temple.

The cave has idols of Lord Ram, Sita and Lakshmna. One can enter the cave with the help of a
very narrow staircase. The cave has the idol of Shree Ram, Laxman and Sita. To
the left, one can enter into the cave having the Shiva Linga. Devotees believe that Ravan
kidnapped Sita from the same place.

Kalaram Mandir
This temple was built by Peshwas. The main deities Lord Ram, Sita and Lakshmana are pretty
black in colour and festooned with knick-knacks. The gold plated copper dome and other
sculptures of this magnificient shrine displays brilliant structural design. The 70 feet high
temple happens to be the busiest temples in the locality. There are great processions and utsav
on Lord Ram , Laxman, SitaRamnavami, Dasara and Chaitra Padwa (Hindu new year day). The
specialty of the temple is that it was built with black stones. It took 12 years to build this temple.
Ramkund
The popular belief is that Lord Ram had his bath here, at some stage of his exile. To
commemorate that the devotees frequents here to have a holy dip.
Mortal remains (Asthi) immersed in this kunda, are immediately absorbed in the water. A dip in
this sacred kunda is considered very pious. The ashes of Gandhiji were dropped in Ramkund
14

after Gandhiji passed away on 30th January 1948. Mr. Nehru was also present on this occasion.
During Kumbha mela Thousands of Sadhus and holy men and millions of pilgrims immerse
themselves in the holy Ramkund and Kushavarta reservoirs.

Ganga Ghat and Kumbhamela

Nashik is a hub of religious activities, which are centered around the sacred banks of the
Godaveri River.The banks of this holy river is wizened with well maintained ghats and numerous
temples. These bathing ghats reverberate with holy recites of people who gathers there to offer
the last rituals of their beloved ones.
NASIK JYOTHIRLINGA:
Trimbakeshwar (Marathi: ) or Trambakeshwar is an ancient Hindu temple in the town
of Trimbak, in theTrimbakeshwar tehsil in the Nashik District of Maharashtra, India, 28 km from
the city of Nashik. It is dedicated toLord Shiva and is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas.
It is located at the source of the Godavari River, the longest river in peninsular India. The
Godavari River, which is considered sacred within Hinduism, originates from Bramhagiri
mountains and meets the sea near Rajahmudry. Kusavarta, a kund is considered the symbolic
origin of the river Godavari, and revered by Hindus as a sacred bathing place. The current
temple was built by Peshwa Balaji Baji Rao (a.k.a Nanasaheb).
Jyotirlinga[edit]
As per Shiv Mahapuran, once Brahma (the Hindu God of creation) and Vishnu (the Hindu God
of preservation) had an argument in terms of supremacy of creation.[1] To test
them, Shiva pierced the three worlds as a huge endless pillar of light, the jyotirlinga. Vishnu and
Brahma split their ways to downwards and upwards respectively to find the end of the light in
either directions. Brahma lied that he found out the end, while Vishnu conceded his defeat.
Shiva appeared as a second pillar of light and cursed Brahma that he would have no place in
ceremonies while Vishnu would be worshipped till the end of eternity. The jyotirlinga is the
supreme partless reality, out of which Shiva partly appears. The jyothirlinga shrines, thus are
places where Shiva appeared as a fiery column of light.[2][3] There are 64 forms of Shiva, not to
be confused with Jyotirlingas. Each of the twelve jyothirlinga sites take the name of the
presiding deity - each considered different manifestation of Shiva.[4] At all these sites, the
primary image islingam representing the beginningless and endless Stambha pillar, symbolizing
the infinite nature of Shiva.[4][5][6]The
twelve jyothirlinga are Somnath in Gujarat, Mallikarjuna at Srisailam in Andra
Pradesh, Mahakaleswar at Ujjainin Madhya Pradesh, Omkareshwar in Madhya
Pradesh, Kedarnath in Himalayas, Bhimashankar in Maharastra,Viswanath at Varanasi in Uttar
Pradesh, Triambakeshwar in
Maharastra, Vaidyanath at Deoghar in Jharkhand,Nageswar at Dwarka in Gujarat, Rameshwar
at Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu and Grishneshwar at Aurangabad in Maharastra.[1][7]
In Mythology, history and present[edit]

15

Trimbakeshwar is a religious center having one of the twelve Jyotirlingas. The extraordinary
feature of the Jyotirlinga located here is its three faces embodying Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu
and Lord Rudra. Due to excessive use of water, the linga has started to erode. It is said that this
erosion symbolizes the eroding nature of human society. The Lingas are covered by a jeweled
crown which is placed over the Gold Mask of Tridev (Brahma Vishnu Mahesh). The crown is
said to be from the age of Pandavs and consists of diamonds, emeralds, and many precious
stones. The crown is displayed every Monday from 4-5 pm (Shiva).
All other Jyotirlingas have Shiva as the main deity. The entire black stone temple is known for its
appealing architecture and sculpture and is at the foothills of a mountain called Brahmagiri.
Three sources of the Godavari originate from the Brahmagiri mountain.
Vajreshwari Temple
The Shree Vajreshwari Yogini Devi Mandir is a Hindu temple dedicated to the
goddess Vajreshwari, located in the town Vajreshwari, 75 km away from Mumbai. The town,
earlier known as Vadvali, was renamed Vajreshwari in honour of the presiding deity of the
temple.
Location[edit]
The town of Vajreshwari - on banks of river Tansa - lies in Bhiwandi city, Thane
district, Maharashtra, India and 31 km away from the nearest railway station of Vasai. The
temple is located near the post office of Vajreshwari town, on the Mandagiri hillock, which was
formed out of a volcanic eruption and is surrounded by hills on all sides.
Legends[edit]
The region of Vadvali is mentioned in the Puranas (Hindu scriptures) as visited
by Avatars (incarnations) of Vishnu(Hindu god of preservation): Rama and Parshurama. The
legend has it Parshurama had performed a yajna (fire offering) at Vadvali and the hills of
volcanic ash in the area are its residue.
The primary deity of the temple, Vajreshwari (vajrevari), also spelled Vajreshvari, also known
as Vajrbi andVajrayogini, is considered as incarnation of goddess Parvati or Aadi-Maya on
earth. Her name literally means "the lady of the Vajra (thunderbolt)". There are two legends
about the goddess' origins, both associated with the Vajra.
Thousands of years ago, a Rakshasa (demon) named Kalikala or Kalikut troubled
the rishis (sages) and humans in the region of Vadvali and waged a war against
the devas (gods). Distressed the gods and sages headed byVashishta performed the TriChandi
yagna, a fire offering to the Goddess, to please Her. An aahuti (offering of gheein yajna) was not
granted to Indra (king of devas). Enraged, Indra hurled his Vajra - one of most powerful
weapons in Hindu mythology- at the yajna. The terrified gods and sages prayed to the Goddess
to save them. The Goddess appeared in all her glory at the site and not only swallowed the
Vajra and humbled Indra but also killed the demons. Rama requested the Goddess that she
should stay in the region of Vadvali and be known as Vajreshwari. Thus, the Vajreshwari temple
was established in this region.
Another legend says that Indra and other devas went to goddess Parvati and requested her to
help slay demon Kalikala. Goddess Parvati assured that she will come to their aid at the right
16

time and ordered them to fight with the demon. In the battle, Kalikala swallowed or broken all
weapons thrown at him. Finally, Indra threw the Vajra at the demon, which Kalikala broke into
pieces and from the Vajra, emerged the Goddess, who destroyed the demon. The devas
extolled her as Vajreshwari and built her temple.
The 7th canto of Navanath Kathasar states that Machindranath served
goddess Vajrabhagawati (Vajreshwari) for a month by giving her a bath of the water of hot
springs.This place is also called as Nath Bhoomi,A land of Nathas.
HISTORY:
The original temple of Vajreshwari was at Gunj - five miles (8 km) north of Vadavli. It was moved
to Vadvali after its destruction by the Portuguese.[1]
In 1739, Chimaji Appa - the younger brother and military commander of Peshwa Baji Rao I - had
set camp in the Vadvali region on his way to capture the Portuguese held Bassein Fort of Vasai.
The fort was unconquerable even after a three-year war. So Chimaji appa prayed to goddess
Vajreshwari that if he could conquer the fort and defeat the Portuguese, he would build a temple
to the goddess. According to legend, goddess Vajreshwari appeared in the dream of Chimaji
Appa and told him the way to conquer the fort. On the 16 May, the fort fell and defeat of
Portuguese in Vasai was complete. To celebrate his victory and to fulfill the vow taken in front of
goddess Vajreshwari, Chimnaji appa ordered the new Subhedar (governor) Shankar Keshav
Phadke to build the Vajreshwari temple. The temple' architecture is based on Bassein Fort.
The Nagarkhana in main entrance gate was built by the Gaikwads, Maratha dynasty of Baroda.
The stone steps leading to the temple and the Dipamala (A tower of lights) in front of the temple
were built by Nanasaheb Chandavadakar, a moneylender from Nashik.
Temple structure
The main gate entrance has a Nagarkhana or drum house and is built similar to Bassein fort
entrance. The temple is also surrounded by a stone wall like a fort. Fifty-two stone steps are to
be climbed to reach the main shrine. A golden tortoise is carved on one of the steps and
worshipped as Kurma, the tortoise incarnation of Vishnu.
The main shrine has three sections: the main inner sanctum (Garbha grha),
another sanctum

and a pillared mandapa(assembly hall). The Grabha-griha houses six idols. The
saffron murti (idol) of goddess Vajreshwari with a sword and a gada (mace) in her right and left
hands respectively and a trisula (trident) besides her, stands in the centre. Murtis of
goddess Renuka (Parshurama's mother) with a sword and a lotus in her hands,
goddess Saptashrungi Mahalakshmi of Vani and a tiger, goddess Vajreshwari's vahana or
mount; are to the left of goddess Vajreshwari. On her right are the murtis of goddess Kalika (the
village goddess) with a lotus and a kamandalu (water pot) and Parshurama armed with a parshu
(axe). The goddesses are adorned with silver jewelry, crowns and stand on silver lotuses and
are sheltered by silver umbrellas. The sanctum outside the Garbhagriha has idols
of Ganesha, Bhairava, Hanumanand local deities like Moraba devi. The assembly hall has a
bell, which devotees ring when entering the shrine and a marble lion, also believed to be the
goddess' mount. A Yajna kunda (a structure in which a fire offering is done) is outside the
assembly hall.
Smaller shrines in temple premises are dedicated to Kapileshwar
Mahadeva (Shiva), Datta, Hanuman and saints of Giri Gosavi sect. A peepal tree in front of the
Hanuman shrine, has assumed a form of Ganesha and is worshipped as the deity.
17

The samdhi (tomb) of the 17th century Giri Gosavi saint Godhadebuwa is further atop the
Gautam hill, behind the Mandagiri hillock.
SANT GYANESHWAR:
There was a Sant called Vitthobha in Maharashtra. He dint want to get married and
wanted to be a bramachari all his life. He would always meditate upon god and read
the holy book of Srimad Bhagavadam. He would get alms and have his food. He
once came to Pandharpur and had the darshan of Lord Vitthal and was sleeping on
the banks of river Chandrabhaga. That night Lord Pandurang came in his dream and
said that a Brahman would bring to him a girl called Rukmani tomorrow and asked
him to get married to her. He got up in the morning and started performing his
daily ritual thinking why god had asked him to get married when he wanted to be a
bramachari all his life. Pandurang had also told the same to the Brahman in his
dream and had asked him to go in search of Vitthobha on the banks of
Chandrabhaga the next morning. The Brahman came to Chandrabhaga and on
seeing Vitthobha told him about his dream; Vitthobha told him that Pandharinath
had also told him the same and agreed to get married to his daughter. He then
came back to his village and started living as a family man. Vitthobha was longing
for a child so that he could go back to sanyasa ashram leaving his wife with the
children, but unfortunately they did not have a child for a long time. One day
Vitthobha left home without telling his wife and went to Kasi and met Swami
Ramanada. (Swami Ramananda is also the guru of Sant Kabirdas). He then formally
took Sanyasa ashram from his guru Ramanda and stayed with him in Kasi. His wife
Rukmani was searching for him and months passed by. Some one had told her that
her husband would return if she goes around the Pipal tree (Arasa maram in Tamil).
She started doing this religiously and years passed by but her husband had not
returned.
Swami Ramanada had started on a yatra to Dakshin Bharath with his sishyas.
Vitthobha refrained from joining his Guru in the yatra as he dint want to meet his
family even accidentally when they pass by his village. Swami Ramananda reached
Vitthobhas village and happened to sit under the Pipal tree. Rukmani after
completing her pradakshan prostrated Swami Ramananda as he was sitting there.
As she was going around the Pipal tree Swami Ramanada thought that she was
praying for a child and blessed her saying Putravati Bhava. On hearing this she
burst into tears. Swami Ramanada on seeing this asked her why she was crying.
She then told him that her husband had abandoned her a few years back. She also
said that the blessings of Saints like him dont go waste. She then said that some
people have told her that her husband has become a Sanyasi. He then asked her if
she knew where he was and who gave him sanyas. She then replied that people say
that he took sanyas from Swami Ramanada in Kasi. Swami Ramanada then told her
that it was he who had given him sanyasa diksha and also told her that if Lord
Rama had made him bless her as Putravathi Bhava he would make it happen. He
then sent a letter to Kasi for Vitthobha. On seeing his letter Vitthobha came to meet
his Guru. Swami Ramanand then told him; be it Dharm or Adharm you will have to
make my words come true. He also said that there is no bigger Dharm than to
listen to ones Gurus words. As it was his Gurus wish Vitthobha agreed to it and
18

came back to family life. After some time Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu, Lord Brahma and
Goddess Shakthi came to this world as their children. Their first son Nivritidev was
the incarnation of Shiva, the second son Gyaneshwar was the incarnation of Vishnu
and the third son Sopandev was the incarnation of Brahma, the fourth child Muktha
Bai was the incarnation of Shakthi. They had taken this avatar to teach the world
the importance of nama sankirtan and prove that it was the only relief for any
human being in this Kaliyug. Even though Vittobha had come back to family life as
per his Gurus instructions he was having a feeling that he had committed a sin by
coming back to Grihastashram from Sanyasashram. As he was a learned person he
also knew that the only way to relive him of this sin was to jump in to the Ganges
and reach the god. He told this to his wife and she too wanted to go with him as
she felt that she was also a party to this sin that he had committed. They both left
the kids praying to Lord Vitthal asking him to take care of them and left for Prayaga
(the meeting point of Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswathi) and then to the Himalayas
and got in to the Ganges to give up their life.
Nivritidev, Gyaneshwar, Sopandev and Muktha Bai were very young and everyone in
the village neglected them and teased them. The children would eat if any one
offered them food, otherwise they would just starve. They would not go and ask for
alms from anyone. Nivriti was 6 years old, Gyaneshwar was 5, and Sopan was 4
years old now. As they were Brahmans they wanted get their Upananyanam
(Sacred thread ceremony) done at the right age. They went to the Brahmans in the
village and asked them to perform Upanayanam for them. The Brahmans laughed
at them and said that as they were born to a Sanyasi they cant call themselves as
Brahmans and so they would not perform the Upanayanam for them. They then
said that there is a place called Prathishtanapuram (Now called as Paithan) where
there are a lot of learned people and asked them to approach them to check if there
was anyway they could perform the ceremony. They also said that they would
perform the same if they agree to it and give a letter to them stating the same. The
children then came to Paithan and met the Brahmans there. Gyaneshwar then
asked them to perform the ceremony for them. The Brahmans then asked them to
which gothram do they belong to. Gyaneshwar replied to them saying that if the
gothram was not known for someone the guru could use his gothram for performing
the ceremony. They were surprised at this answer and thought how such a young
kid knew so much about the sastras, but then said that they would not perform the
ceremony without knowing if they really were Brahmans. Gyaneshwar then told
them the different stages that a man goes through before becoming a Brahman and
said that they have all crossed that stage, but still wanted to have the ceremony
performed as it was customary. He also said that a Brahman is one who has seen
the Brahmam and as they have seen the Brahmam they could perform the
ceremony for them. The Brahmans then asked them if they had seen the Brahmam
then why they need all these rituals. Gyaneshwar told them that as it is put in the
Vedas that one should stick to their dharmas; we wanted to have the ceremony
done. The Brahmans then asked them how they got Bhramagyanam. Gyaneshwar
told them that god was every where and it was up to the individual to see him. He
then showed a buffalo that was roaming on the street and said that god was inside
the buffalo too. The Brahmans then got angry and asked if that was true will the
buffalo too speak Vedanta like how he speaks. Gyaneshwar then touched the
19

buffalo and said Panduranga recite the Vedas The buffalo immediately started
reciting the Vedas. The Brahmans on seeing this were stunned and then said that a
person like him who has attained jeevan mukthi does not require all these
ceremonies. They then left Paithan and started on a yatra with the buffalo.
Gyaneshwar made a composition on Bhagavad Gita called Gyaneshwari. Till date it
is the most popular book in Marathi on Bhagavad Gita. They then came back to
Paithan and stayed there. There was a person called Changadev who was a Yogi, he
was 1000 years old. He would walk on water, fly in the sky, get inside fire and come
out without getting burnt. One day he got a new siddhi and started making dead
people come alive. The whole village got to know about this and every one in
Paithan and nearby villages started bringing everyone who was dead to Changadev
and he made them come alive. However Changadev did not like Gyaneshwar and
would ask the people in the village what was there with Gyaneshwar and why so
many people went to meet him and listened to the abhangs and his discourses. The
news reached Gyaneshwar but he dint bother about it. Muktha Bai his kid sister did
not like this and she wanted to teach Changadev a lesson. Muktha then went to
Chagadevs ashram and there were a lot of people waiting outside for the Yogi with
a dead body next to them. When they saw the 5 year old Muktha they asked her to
go away fearing that she would be frightened seeing the dead bodies. Muktha asked
them why they were waiting outside and they said that they were waiting for
Changadev to come and wake the dead bodies. Hearing this, the little girl said that
she could also wake them up. They then told her that she would get frightened on
seeing them and asked her to leave. She then ran towards the dead body and said
Vitthala Vitthala on it ears and then ran away. The dead body immediately woke
up and started jumping and chanting Vitthala Vitthala. Hearing this noise
Changadev came outside. He then enquired what happened and the people who
were waiting for him told him what happened. He then asked them if they knew
who that kid was and they said that it was Gyaneshwars kid sister. Changdev was
shocked and surprised listening to this. He then wanted to meet Gyaneshwar and
came to meet him sitting on a tiger. Seeing this, the villagers panicked and ran to
tell this news to Gyaneshwar. Gyaneshwar was then fixing the compound wall in his
house; he sat on the wall and asked the wall to move towards Changadev. The wall
immediately started moving and now villagers were surprised. When Changadev
saw this he was astonished. He immediately got down prostrated to Gyaneshwar
and came to him. Gyaneshwar then told him that these siddhis are not useful to
attain god and that they only take one in the wrong direction. Changadev
immediately realised what he was saying and asked Gyaneshwar to show him the
correct path. Gyaneshwar then asked Muktha to show him the right path. Muktha
Bai then told him that listening to the stories of god, singing the praise of god is the
only way to attain god. Changadev then prostrated both Muktha and Gyaneshwar
and went to Pandharpur to live like true bhaktha. From that day he never used any
of the siddhis that he had gained. He stayed in Pandhari along with Sant Namdev
and spent the rest of his life singing bhajans and kirthans and listening to
pravachans.
Gyaneshwar once came to Pandharpur and met Namdev. Namdev prostrated to
Gyaneshwar and they hugged each other. Gyaneshwar then told Namdev that he
20

had come to Pandharpur only to see him. He then told him that he wanted to go on
a yatra around the country and wanted Nama to come with him. Nama told him
that he was happy in Pandhari and that he could not leave Vitthal and go outside
Pandharpur. Gyaneshwar then told Nama that he was going to visit all the places
like Ayodhya, Vrindavan etc where god had lived in his earlier avatars and that he
should come to see it with him. Nama then told him that Vitthal was still living and
playing with his devotees in Pandharpur and said that he would be happy to be with
him in Pandhari than go and visit a place where he lived earlier. Gyaneshwar then
told him that he greatly desired to have Namdevs company for the yatra. Namdev
then asked him to ask Vitthal and also said that he would go with him if that was
Vitthal wish. Gyaneshwar went to Vitthal, told him that he had come to him to ask
for something. Vitthal asked him what he wanted and Gyaneshwar told him that he
wanted to go on a yatra. Vitthal then told him that it was a good decision and told
him that he would be liberating so many lives in this world by doing so. Gyaneshwar
then asked Vitthal to send Namdev along with him for the yatra. Hearing this Vitthal
was struck by grief and told him that he cant be without Namdev. Gyanadev
however said that he wanted to go with Nama and Vitthal then called Nama with
tears and asked him to go with Gyaneshwar.
Gyaneshwar and Namdev started on a yatra with a few others. They would go to
every village and perform namasankirtan. When they left the village a few people
would join them in their yatra. The yatra that started with 10 people at Pandhari
now became as big as 1000 people. They would perform street bhajans in each
village and then move on the next village. Every one who saw them singing would
get attracted and start singing and dancing with love for god. This way they
reached Delhi and by now there were over a lakh yatris coming with Namdev and
Gyaneshwar. Delhi was then ruled by a Mohamedian king, unmindful of this they
continued going through the streets of Delhi, singing the praise of god with ecstasy.
The king on seeing his subjects getting attracted towards them decided to prove
that Hinduism was not true. He then sent a person with a cow to the place where
they were performing bhajans. The Mohamedian came with the cow and told them
that he is going to slaughter the cow and if the god whom they consider as the
supreme cowherd is true, he should make the cow come alive. Namdev immediately
replied to him that Vitthal would take care of the cow. The Mohamedian then told
that he would slaughter the cow and asked him how long he would take to bring
back life to the cow. Nama then told him that he would bring it alive in 3 days. On
hearing this he slaughtered the cow and left the place with a big smile thinking that
in 3 days time the people who have been his followers will understand that he is not
a saint and no one would follow him any more. For 3 days Nama was just singing
and crying to Lord Vitthal blaming himself as the reason for the cows death. Nama
almost fainted on the 3rd day as he refused to have food or water from the time the
cow was slaughtered. Vitthal then came and consoled Nama and asked him to see
the cow. Nama saw the cow getting up and asked Vitthal why he had made him
wait for 3 days, when he could have come immediately. Vitthal then told him that it
was Nama who promised the killer that he would make it come alive in 3 days and
that he waited for 3 days only to make his words true. After this event a lot of
people in Delhi became the followers of Gyaneshwar and Namdev and everyone
started performing bhajans and kirthans at their home. They then went to many
21

villages and cities up North and were returning back to Pandhari via Marwar. They
got stuck in the desert and lost their way completely. There was no food or water
and they could not find any village nearby. Nama fainted and fell down as he could
not withstand the heat of the desert. Seeing this Gyaneshwar started crying and
pleading Vitthal asking him to come for help. Seeing this Nama told him that
whatever was the wish of Vitthal would happen and one can not do anything about
it. Vitthal then sent his disc (Chakkaram) to their rescue and the disc went inside
the ground and created a spring for them. All the bhakthas then took water from
the spring to quench their thirst and continued their journey.
The yatris reached a place called Vaidhyanatham (now it is called Deogarh in Bihar)
which is one of the 12 Jyothir Linga places. The day they arrived happened to be
Shivarathri and so they went and prayed to Lord Shiva in this temple. They then sat
in front of the main deity and started their kirthans. After singing a few songs about
Lord Shiva they started singing about Vitthal as usual. Hearing this, the temple
priest came to them and said that they should not be sitting in front of the main
deity and singing as they would be performing abishekams and poojas for Lord
Shiva. They also said that this was a Shiva temple and that they should not perform
bhajans about Vishnu in this temple. Gyaneshwar then said that the Lord Shiva
wanted them to sing here and that they would leave if he asks them to leave. The
temple officials then intervened and showed them another place behind Lord Shiva
to perform their bhajans. They all moved to the new place and started singing
there. After some time the temple priests locked the shrine and left after
performing all the poojas. Gyaneshwar, Namdev and other bagavathas continued to
perform their kirthans through the night and Lord Shiva turned to the side where
they were sitting with his shrine. The next morning the priests came to open the
temple and were astonished find that the shrine had turned. They then realised that
it had happened because they asked the bhakthas and bagavathas to go and sit on
the rear side of the temple. They understood that Lord Shiva had done this to show
his love towards them. They then came running to see Gyaneshwar and Namdev,
prostrated to them and apologised for having misbehaved with them the previous
day. Gyaneshwar and Namdev then told them that they being the priest of Lord
Shiva, they will not misbehave with any one and that it was Lord Shivas leela and
continued with their journey.
Gyaneshwar and Namdev had almost reached Pandhari and Nama was now longing
to have a darshan of Vitthal and started running towards Pandhari with tears in his
eyes. It had been about a year since he went on a yatra with Gyaneshwar. Vitthal
also came to the banks of Chandrabhaga to receive them and was happy that they
have returned back. The entire village of Pandharpur was in a festive mood when
they knew they were returning and came to receive them.
A few days later Vitthal told Nama that a Samaradhanam has to be performed for
him as he has completed the yatra. He also said, as Gyaneshwar was a Yogi, it is
not necessary for him but as Nama was a family man it has to be performed for
him. Nama then told him that it was not required for him, but as Vitthal insisted
Nama agreed to it. Vitthal wanted to get the Brahmans from Paithan to perform the
same. The real reason behind performing this ritual was that Vitthal wanted the
Brahmans of Paithan to realise the greatness of bhajans and kirthans. Vitthal then
22

took the form of a rich man and came to Paithan along with Gyaneshwar, Nama and
other bhakthas. Vitthal and the other bhakthas prostrated to the Brahmans. Vitthal
then told them that he wanted to perform an udyapan in Pandharpur and wanted
them to perform the same. Vitthal then asked them to come to Pandharpur the
following Saturday to perform the same and went back to Pandharpur with his
bhakthas. The Brahmans came as stated and performed the ceremony. Once the
ceremony was completed they were served food. Rukmani, Radha, Sathyabama and
others served food for the Brahmans. Vitthal then gave each Brahman their
dakshana and asked them to take some rest. Vitthal then asked if he could now go
and have food and the Brahmans asked him to go ahead. Vitthal called all his
bhakthas to have lunch with him. Vitthals bhakthas are from all sects including the
harijans. They all came and sat down for lunch. Nama was sitting next to Vitthal.
Seeing the people from lower caste sitting next to Vitthal, the Brahmans thought if
Vitthal was really a Brahman or if he fooled them saying he was one. The bhakthas
were feeding Vitthal from their plate and Vitthal was feeding the bhakthas from his
plate. Seeing this, the Brahmans got angry and started to leave. Vitthal and his
bhakthas had finished their lunch by then and came towards them. The Brahmans
then asked Vitthal if he dint know about the way a Brahman is to conduct himself
and asked him why he was eating with people from the lower caste. Vitthal then
told them that he was not aware of the same and asked them to perform a
prayachitham (doing penance) for the same. The Brahmans then agreed to perform
the same for Vitthal and they fixed the next Saturday for the same. They then gave
the list of items to be procured and left. The next Saturday the Brahmans came and
performed the ceremony religiously. Once the ceremony was over he requested the
Brahmans to have lunch. He then asked them to take rest and went to have his
lunch. This time too Vitthal had food with all his bhakthas who were from the lower
caste. The Brahmans got angry again and asked Vitthal why he had done the same
mistake again even after doing penance. Vitthal then told them that he did this
again as he now knew he could do a penance for the same. He also said that he can
have food only when he eats with them and that he cant eat alone. They then told
Vitthal that being a Brahman he should act like a Brahman. Vitthal then told them
that he thinks the people with whom he had food as Brahmans and not them. The
Brahmans asked him how he says that. Vitthal then told them that it is only
because they dont have the Gyan they look at these people as belonging to lower
caste. He then said that a Brahman is one who sees Brahmam in every living being
in this world. The Brahmans said that what he said was true but it is applicable only
for people who have really realised the same in their life and not for everyone. They
also asked him how he talked like he knew the Vedas, Upanishads etc and asked
him to reveal who he really was. Vitthal then said the Brahmans that he will first
show who his friends are and gave Gyan to the Brahmans. When the Brahmans saw
the bhakthas they realised that Gyaneshwar was Vishnu, Nivriti was Shiva, Sopan
was Bhrama and all other bhakthas took the form of other gods and goddess. The
Brahmans then realised their mistake and prostrated to all the saints there and
asked Vitthal for forgiveness. They then joined with them and started singing the
kirthans and bhajans. After spending a few days with these saints they then went
back to Paithan.

23

GATEWAY OF INDIA-BOMBAY:
The Gateway of India is a monument built during the British Raj in Mumbai (formerly Bombay),
India.[2] It is located on the waterfront in the Apollo Bunder area in South Mumbai and overlooks
the Arabian Sea.[3][4] The structure is a basaltarch, 26 metres (85 feet) high. It lies at the end
of Chhatrapati Shivaji Marg at the water's edge in Mumbai Harbour.[5] It was a crude jetty used
by the fishing community which was later renovated and used as a landing place for British
governors and other prominent people. In earlier times, it would have been the first structure
that visitors arriving by boat in Mumbai would have seen.[6][7] The Gateway has also been
referred to as the Taj Mahal of Mumbai,[8] and is the city's top tourist attraction.[9]
The structure was erected to commemorate the landing of their Majesties King George
V and Queen Mary at Apollo Bunder, when they visited India in 1911. Built in IndoSaracenic style, the foundation stone for the Gateway of India was laid on 31 March 1911. The
final design of George Wittet was sanctioned in 1914 and the construction of the monument was
completed in 1924. The Gateway was later the ceremonial entrance to India for Viceroys and
the new Governors of Bombay.[10] It served to allow entry and access to India.[11]
The monument has faced three terror attacks from the beginning of the 21st century; twice in
2003 and it was also the disembarkation point in 2008 when four gunmen attacked the Taj
Mahal Palace & Tower
HISTORY;
The Gateway of India was built to commemorate the visit of King George Vand Queen Mary to
Mumbai, prior to the Delhi Durbar, in December 1911. However, they only got to see a
cardboard model of the structure since the construction did not begin till 1915.[12] The foundation
stone was laid on 31 March 1911, by the governor of Bombay Sir George Sydenham Clarke,
with the final design of George Wittet sanctioned on 31 March 1913. The gateway was built from
yellow basalt and concrete.[13] Between 1915 and 1919, work proceeded at Apollo Bundar (Port)
to reclaim the land on which the gateway and the new sea wall would be built. The foundations
were completed in 1920, and construction was finished in 1924.[14] The gateway was opened on
4 December 1924, by the viceroy, the Earl of Reading.[6]
The last British troops to leave India following the country's independence, the First Battalion of
the Somerset Light Infantry, passed through the gateway on their way out in a ceremony on 28
February 1948, signalling the end of British rule.[6][15]
Design and structure
The architect George Wittet combined the elements of the Roman triumphal arch and the 16thcentury architecture ofGujarat.[16] Its design is a combination of Hindu and Muslim architectural
styles; the arch is of Muslim style while the decorations are of Hindu style.[17] The gateway is
built from yellow basalt and reinforced concrete.[12] The stone was locally obtained, and the
perforated screens were brought from Gwalior.[18] The gateway faces out to Mumbai
Harbourfrom the tip of Apollo Bunder.[19]
The central dome is 48 feet (15 metres) in diameter and 83 feet (25 metres) above the ground
at its highest point.[20]The whole harbour front was realigned in order to come in line with a
24

planned esplanade which would sweep down to the centre of the town. On each side of the
arch, there are large halls that can hold 600 people.[12] The cost of the construction was 2
million (US$32,000), borne mainly by the Government of India. For lack of funds, the approach
road was never built, and so the gateway stands at an angle to the road leading up to it.[6][20]
CALANGUTE BEACH GOA:
Calangute ([kou]) is a census town with a permanent population of approximately 16,000
(2001) in North Goa, in the state of Goa, India. It is famous for its beach, the largest in north
Goa, visited by thousands of domestic and international tourists alike. The peak tourist season
is during Christmas and New Year, and during the summer in May. During the monsoon season,
from June through September, the sea can be rough and swimming is prohibited. The beach
offers water sport activities like parasailing and water skiing, among others.
MIRAMAR BEACH:
Miramar is the beach area of the Goan capital of Panjim, also known as Panaji and is one of
the most visited beaches of Goa. Many people, mostly tourists, come to this beach every day.
Originally named Porta de Gaspar Dias by the Portuguese, the name was then changed to
Miramar.
Situated at the confluence of the Mandovi River and the Arabian Sea, it is a small beach that
occasionally hosts some events. There are several educational institutions in the surrounding
vicinity, including Dhempe College of Arts and Science, Padmashree Vasantrao Dempo Higher
Secondary School of Arts and Science and Sharada Mandir High School. Gaspar de Dias club
and a popular caf are nearby.
SAINT XAVIER CHURCH:
Francis Xavier, SJ, born Francisco de Jasso y Azpilicueta (7 April 1506 3 December
1552), was a Roman Catholic missionary born in Xavier, Kingdom of Navarre (now part of
Spain), and co-founder of the Society of Jesus. He was a study companion of St. Ignatius of
Loyola and one of the first seven Jesuits who took vows of poverty and chastity at Montmartre,
(Paris) in 1534.[1] He led an extensive mission into Asia, mainly in the Portuguese Empire of the
time. He was influential in evangelization work most notably in India. He also ventured into
Japan, Borneo, the Maluku Islands, and other areas which had, until then, not been visited
by Christian missionaries. In these areas, being a pioneer and struggling to learn the local
languages in the face of opposition, he had less success than he had enjoyed in India. It was a
goal of Xavier to extend his missionary preaching to China but he died in Shangchuan
Island shortly before doing so.
Burials and relics
He was first buried on a beach at Shangchuan Island, Taishan, Guangdong. His incorrupt body
was taken from the island in February 1553 and was temporarily buried in St. Paul's
church in Portuguese Malacca on 22 March 1553. An open grave in the church now marks the
place of Xavier's burial. Pereira came back from Goa, removed the corpse shortly after 15 April
1553, and moved it to his house. On 11 December 1553, Xavier's body was shipped to Goa.
The body is now in the Basilica of Bom Jesus in Goa, where it was placed in a glass container
encased in a silver casket on 2 December 1637.

25

The right forearm, which Xavier used to bless and baptize his converts, was detached
by Superior General Claudio Acquaviva in 1614. It has been displayed since in a silver reliquary
at the main Jesuit church in Rome, Il Ges.[21]
Another of Xavier's arm bones was brought to Macau where it was kept in a silver reliquary. The
relic was destined for Japan but religious persecution there persuaded the church to keep it in
Macau's Cathedral of St. Paul. It was subsequently moved to St. Joseph's and in 1978 to the
Chapel of St. Francis Xavier on Coloane Island. More recently the relic was moved to St.
Joseph's Seminary and the Sacred Art Museum.[22]
In 2006, on the 500th anniversary of his birth, the Xavier Tomb Monument and Chapel on the
Shangchuan Island, in ruins after years of neglect under communist rule in China was restored
with the support from the alumni of Wah Yan College, a Jesuit high school in Hong Kong.
Veneration
Beatification and canonization
Francis Xavier was beatified by Paul V on 25 October 1619, and was canonized by Gregory
XV on 12 March (12 April[23]) 1622, at the same time as Ignatius Loyola.[24] Pius XI proclaimed
him the "Patron of Catholic Missions".[25] His feast day is 3 December.[2

26