Patalkot- A hidden travel treasure for nature and adventure lovers

Situated at a distance of 75 km from the Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh and 23 km from Tamia is a scenic spot called Patalkot! At 3250 feet above sea level and 1000 to 1700 feet from ground level, you can find this beautiful valley. The Gond and Bharia tribes live in this valley.

“Patalakot” has been mentioned in many Hindu scriptures. Ahiravan, brother of Ravana, the King of Lanka, lived in ‘Patal’. At the time of the Rama-Ravana war, he took the asleep Rama and Lakshmana to Patal-Lok and wanted to sacrifice them, so that the war would end. As soon as Lord Hanuman realizes this, he goes to Patalalok. A fierce battle ensues between the two where Ahiravan is killed and Hanuman brings the brothers back to the battlefield.

The enclosure of Patalakot is covered with peaks and plains. All this natural beauty has made it unique. The mountain peaks in the south are quite high and spread to the northwest as its boundary. On the other hand, the valleys are so low that it is difficult to see their bottom. It seems as if there is a competition between the peaks and the valleys.

The whole mountain is covered with plants, flowers, trees, and herbs, from the bottom to its peak. There is a waterfall streaming from the tilted rocks of Patalakot which falls on the tall mango trees there and then disperses into sparkling drops.

Whoever sees the natural beauty of Patalakot can never get it out of their minds. The tribe living in Patalkot live their unique life, free from the hum-drums of the modern world and rooted in their age-old traditions, culture, customs, food, and music.

From the soil to the trees and plants, everything shines magnificently, the river-drains have a delightful exuberance, the animals and birds chirp and sing with joy, everywhere there is the magic of being. No matter how you feel, the beauty of this place is sure to rejuvenate you.

At present, Patalkot is one of the few places in Madhya Pradesh where you can enjoy adventure sports. From Zip Lining, Rock Climbing, Zorbing, Archery, too many water sports, there’s a lot in store for you when you visit Patalkot.

Patalkot attracts nature lovers and adventure lovers from far and wide in adventure sports held annually. The festival, called Satpura Adventure Sports Festival is held every year in October. A train runs from Chhindwara to Rohilla Sarai station in Delhi, called Patalkot Express has been named after the region itself.

The History of The Jyotirlinga Mahakal Ujjain(The city of Temple)

But all bowed down before Mahakal and spread endowments and alms to the deserving. Several Salivate temples, for example, those of 84 Mahadevas existed here. This reality should especially be underlined that when every corner and nook of Ujjain has been dominated by archaeological monuments housed by the pictures of their individual deities, the development and progress of Mahakala temple along with its religious cultural milieu was not in any way neglected.

Among lots of the earliest texts written during this period of time, which sung the importance and glamour of the temple, both Harsacharit and Kadambari of Banabhatta, Naisadhacharit of Sri Harsa, and also Navasahasamkacharit of Padmagupta are notable. It appears that through the Paramara interval, a collection of crises prevailed over Ujjain along with the Mahakala temple.

But quite soon the Paramaras rejuvenated everything. A contemporary Mahakala Inscription testifies the fact that during the subsequent Eleventh c. and early Aztec c., the Mahakala temple was re-built throughout the reign of Udayaditya and Naravarman. It was built in the Bhumija type of design, very favorable to the Paramaras. Remains offered from the temple complex and the neighbouring areas authenticate this truth.

The temples of this style were either Triratha or Pancharatha in the plan. The main characteristic of identification of such temples had been its star-shaped plan along with the share. So far as the sikhara is concerned, urusrngas (mini-spires), normally of strange amounts, gradually decreasing in size in rows between the well-decorated spines (haravali or lata) rose up in the cardinal points in the Chityaas along with the Sukanasas ultimately surmounted from the Amalaka. Each area of the temple was glutted with decorative motifs or images.

Upperparts of the temple rested on the robust and well-designed pillars and pilasters. Such temples, according to the contemporary Silpa-sastras contained the pictures of various gods and goddesses, Nava Grahas (Nine planets), Apsaras (celestial damsels), female dancers, anucharas (attendants), Kichakas, etc.. ) The sculptural art of the temple had been really classical and classical. Besides the Saivite images of Nataraja, Kalyanasundaram, Ravananugraha, Gajantaka, Sadasiva, Andhakasura-slayer, Lakulisa, etc., the temples had been embellished with the pictures of Ganesa, Paravati, Brahma, Visnu, Surya (Sun-god), Sapta Matrkas (Seven mother-goddesses), etc. These pictures had been really expressive, well-decorated, sculpturally perfect, and carved according to ancient and Puranic texts.

the course is created from Vikramacharit and Bhojacharita written in 15th c. AD. When did the Mahakala temple first come in life, isn’t easy to tell. On the other hand, the event may be assigned to the Pre-historic period. Puranas narrate it was first established by Prajapita Brahma. There’s a reference to this appointment of wolf Kumarasena by warrior Chanda Pradyota at 6th c. BC for taking care of the law and order cases of Mahakala temple. Mahakala temple is also mentioned in several ancient Indian poetic texts.

According to these texts, the temple was really glorious and magnanimous. Its foundation and stage were constructed of stones. The temple rested on wooden pillars. There had been no sikharas about the temples before the Gupta period. The roofs of woods had largely been horizontal. Possibly because of this truth, Kalidasa in Raghuvansam clarified this temple as’Niketana’. The palace of the king was in the neighborhood of the temple. From the first portion of the Meghadutam (Purva Megha), Kalidasa provides a fascinating description of the Mahakala temple. It seems this Chandisvara temple might have been a special instance of the then architecture and art.

Also read: Celebrating the pride of our nation-“Hindi Divas”

It might be determined that how fabulous become the temple of the major Deity of the city which owned multi-storeyed gold-plated palaces and buildings as well as also the excellent artistic grandeur. The temple has been enclosed by high ramparts attached with all the entry gates. At dusk, the lively rows of glittering lamps enlightened the temple complex. The whole atmosphere echoed with the sound of musical instruments. The charming and well-decorated damsels added a lot to the aesthetic beauty of this temple.

The echo of this Jaya-dhvani (Allow the Lord to be victories) of the meeting of their devotees was heard far and wide. Priests remained busy worshipping the Deity and chanting eulogies. The Vedic hymns were recited and Stutis were filmed, the painted walls and also well-carved graphics projected the artistic heights of their afternoon. A couple of Sanads issued by the Sultans of Malwa and Mughal emperors came to light in Ujjain which testifies that throughout the medieval period these Islamic rulers contributed some donations to priests for conducting worship, light the lamps, and supplying the prayers to Divinity to the protection of the reign. Thus it’s clear that these Islamic rulers also had a regard for Mahakalesvara plus they issued financial assistance for their appeasement of Hindu subjects also. Maratha program was established in Ujjain in the fourth decade of the Eighteenth.

The administration of Ujjain was delegated by Peshwa Bajirao-I to his faithful commander Ranoji Shinde, ” The diwan of Ranoji had been Sukhatanakar Ramchandra Baba Shenavi that was quite wealthy but unluckily issueless. On the ideas of many learned Pandita’s along with well-wishers, he decided to spend his wealth for religious purposes. In this connection, he re-built the famous Mahakala temple in Ujjain during the 4th-5th years of Eighteenth c. AD.

The history of Khajrana Ganesh mandir #HeartofIndia

Touted as one of the holiest places in Indore, devotees from all over the World visit Khajrana Ganesh Temple. The temple is dedicated to Lord Ganesha with over 33 smaller temples for Lord Shiva, Maa, and many others. The campus has a peepal tree that, considered holy, supposedly can grant all your wishes.

Queen Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar of the Holkar Dynasty constructed the temple in the year 1735. It is said that a local priest, Pandit Mangal Bhatt, dreamt about the Lord Ganesha idol and Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar had it excavated and placed in the temple. The area where the idol resided and then dug up is now a well, which is right in front of the temple.

The devotees circle around the temple 3 times and tie a thread on temple walls to pray to Lord Ganesha. Every day there’s a Pooja attended by many but Wednesdays are special. It’s a day dedicated to Lord Ganesha with special Aarti and Pooja.

Khajrana temple is one of the richest in India. The temple started out as a small hut but over the years, with donations from many devotees, it turned into the huge structure it is right now. Many devotees, regularly, donate money, gold, diamonds, and other precious jewels. The gate, outer and upper walls of the Garbhagriha are made of silver metal. The eyes of the idols are the diamonds donated by an Indori businessman.

The importance of Gwalior Fort in the history of our country

The Gwalior Fort in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, was constructed in the 8th century. Spread over an area of ​​three square kilometers, the height of this fort is 35 feet. This fort is still standing as an example of the beauty and robustness of medieval architecture. It is one of the central attractions in Gwalior. Built with red sandstone, this fort is one of the largest forts in the country and has a rich history, with an important place in our heritage.

This fort was said to be built in 727 AD by a local King, Suryasena, who lived in the village of Sinhona, 12 km away from this fort. Over the years, many Rajput kings have ruled from this fort. After its construction, the king fell ill with leprosy and was cured by a saint named Gwalior. To thank the saint, the king named the fort and the town after him and Gwalipa gave them the title of ‘Pal’. The Pal dynasty ruled over it for about 989 years. After this, the Pratihara dynasty ruled over it. In 1023 AD, Mohammed Ghazni attacked this fort but had to face defeat. After a long siege in 1196 AD, Qutubuddin Aibak subjugated this fort but in 1211 AD he lost it again. Then in 1231 AD, Iltutmish, the founder of the Mamluk dynasty, subjugated it.

After this, the fort was ruled by the Tomar dynasty from 1398 to 1505 AD and King Devavaram established the kingdom of Tomar at Gwalior. The most famous king of this dynasty was Maan Singh (1486–1516), who built several monuments inside the fort complex, including Gujari Mahal for his wife Mrignayani which has now been turned into a Museum.

In 1516, Maan Singh lost to Ibrahim Lodi and lost this fort too. Soon after, Babar of the Mughal dynasty attacked Gwalior and captured the fort. But Sher Shah Suri defeated Babur’s son Humayun and seized this fort under the Suri dynasty. After Sher Shah’s death in 1540, his son, Islam Shah shifted the capital from Delhi to Gwalior and after his death, his successor Adil Shah Suri went to Chunar, handing over the responsibility of protecting Gwalior to Hem Chandra Vikramaditya (Hemu). In 1556, Hemu established the Hindu Raj by defeating Akbar in Agra and Delhi in the Second Battle of Panipat. After this Hemu changed his capital back to Delhi and started ruling from Purana Qila.

Akbar attacked the fort of Gwalior and captured it and it was converted into a prison. After the Mughal dynasty, the Rana and Jats ruled it, then the Marathas hoisted their flag on it. Then in 1780, its control went to Gond Rana Chhatar Singh who took it away from the Marathas. Mahadji Scindia regained it in 1784. Between 1804 and 1844, the control of the fort changed between the British and Scindia. Finally, in 1844, the Maratha Scindia family of Gwalior, as the British government’s protectorate, occupied the fort and until India’s independence in 1947, they continued ruling it.

The fort premises includes several temples, palaces, and water tanks. The palaces include the Man Mandir Palace, the Gujari Mahal, the Jahangir Mahal, the Shah Jahan Mahal, and the Karan Mahal. The fort has two entrance gates: the first is the main entrance called the Elephant Gate (Hathi Pul) and the other is called the Badalgarh Gate on the opposite side.

The vast and epic history of Maheshwar

Maheshwar was, is, and will always be Rani Ahilya Bai Holkar’s city! Rani Ahilya Bai decided to shift the capital of Holkar from Indore to the beautiful Maheshwar situated on the banks of the Narmada as she was a huge devotee of Lord Shiva and Maa Narmada. Maheshwar is a town in the Khargone district of Madhya Pradesh where wherever you are, you are never far from river Narmada. It is located 13 km east of National Highway 3 and 91 km from Indore.

Maheshwar is an ancient city situated on the north bank of the river Narmada. Maheshwar is a Hindi word meaning Great God which is an epithet of Lord Shiva. May people identify Maheshwar as Mahishmati, a place mentioned in Sanskrit epics like Mahabharat and Ramayan. You may even know Mahishmati from the famous movie ‘Baahubali’. Maheshwar is said to be built on the site of the ancient city of Somvanshya Shastrarjun Kshatriya. It is believed that King Shastrarjun kept Ravan captive here for 7 months.

The story goes something like this. One day King Sahasrarjun went to the river Narmada with his 500 wives for a picnic. Therein, when the wives asked for a vast play area, the King stopped the flow of the river with his 1000 arms. While they were all enjoying themselves, Ravan saw the dry river bed and thought of praying to Lord Shiva, so he made a sand Shivaling and started praying. When the wives were finished playing, the King let the water flow again which swept away the Shivaling which infuriated Ravan who then challenged Sahasrarjun and lost. The King dragged Ravan home and tied him up to his son’s cradle pole.

According to historical records, Maurya and Gupta rulers have also ruled Maheshwar during their time. After which the Delhi Sultanate and Akbar conquered it. Marathas reclaimed this beautiful town in the 14th century. And when Ahilya Bai Holkar took over Malwa, she moved the capital from Indore to Maheshwar. She erected numerous temples, a fort, and many ghats in Maheshwar during her reign.

During the reign of Ahilya Bai, 108 Brahmins used to make and worship 1,25,000 small Shivling from black soil every day and offered them to Narmada. Today, 11 Brahmins make a total of 15,000 Shiva Lingas every day to worship them. You can observe this puja from 9 AM to 10 AM every day. If and when you visit Maheshwar, you must see this aarti.

Narmada is the life force of the city and is also known as Shankari because it is believed to have originated from the tears of Lord Shankar.

There are small temples and chhatris on the entire ghats of Narmada in Maheshwar which you can see from the top of Ahilya Garh. Although there are a total of 24 Ghats in Maheshwar, the main ghats are Ahilya Ghat, Peshwa Ghat, Mahila Ghat, etc.

The best living heritage of Rani Ahilya Bai is Maheshwari Sarees. The city Maheshwari sarees have become indispensable to each other. The livelihood of the majority of the city depends on the weaving of Maheshwari sarees. Wherever you go in Maheshwar, you can see these colorful saris scattered all around.