23 meters high Vishnu Statue in Bali, Indonesia

Kailash temple Ellora,India

Kailasha Temple - Sculpting The Entire Rock to Realize Divine Imagination Into Massive Kailash Temple, Abode of Bhagwan Shiv

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The Kailash temple is not built. All is cut and carved from one gigantic piece of rock, out of the Charanandri hills of the Sahyadri range of the Deccan Plateau at a village, which once was called Elapura, (later renamed as Ellora by british), 30 km northwest of Sambhajinagar (aurangabad). The Kailash temple was cut from the top down in a U-shape form, about 50 Meters deep in the back and sliding to lower levels on the sides to the front where there is an entry gate. From where the cutting was started is not known, definitely it could be from the Ganesh Dwar (every Hindu temple has a place that is dedicated to Bhagwan Ganesh, Son of Bhagwan Shiv), but later were the de-pilings done simultaneously or step by step – nothing is clear even after deep research conducted by several experts.Actual Date of Kailash Temple Construction Still Unknown. The fascinating fact is, almost nothing is known about the origins, constructors and builders of Kailash temple, there are no dates neither, any trace or inscriptions to describe the construction to be known to the world on the overall process and entire purpose of construction. This indicates that the carving dates back to hundreds of years – other experts put it thousands of years old and later some developments and changes were made by Buddhist and Jainese monks – thereby involvement of several generations of Hindu kings and later also followers of new religions when some of the Hindu kings got inclined towards some aspects of Buddhism and Jain. The inscriptions are very old, most of them got diminished as hundreds of years passed by. Deciphering and reading inscriptions is almost impossible. Only a pious Hindu Sage can reassess the entire past of construction, if he has yogic powers to telepathically interact wtih the timescale and Sages of that time. Recently, Rashtrakuta king (756-773) undertook some of the renovation in terms of cleaning and upkeep of the divine structure.Elephant is considered as an auspicious animal in Hinduism. Elephants are protectors and dwarpals of many Hindu temples, they protect pride and opulence of Hinduism thereby representing both these traits themselves. Indra, king of all devtas, rides on Airavat, white elephant. Elephants are part of religious ceremonies and functions of Devtas and therefore Hindus follow them even today in some parts of Bharat. Similarly, there are elephants guarding the entire place within Kailash temple. There are real size statues of elephants in and around the temple. An image of the sacred bull Nandi paying obeisance to Bhagwan Shiv is in the center of the temple. Like other Hindu temples, the Kailasa temple has a Sikhara (spire), but it looks relatively small compared to the whole structure. On top of inside the temple, there is a ring or flower carvings on the ceiling of the central room. The Kailasa Temple is crown and part of the Ellora cave group. It is build at number 16th cave among total of 34 caves. The Ellora caves are not natural caves that are built by nature out of wear tear of seasons and movement of earth, but spiritual dwellings excavated manually by Hindus out of the face of a cliff.Today building a massive structure like Kailash temple would require pre-design and 3D conceptions using latest CAD softwares and high-tech computers. Imagining how the structure will look at which area we should have distance properly maintained to start carving, where we should pause, which side we should start building entrance, how the internal design be formed. There are hundreds of questions which require answers and only getting resolutions around these queries alone would require several months of hundreds of dedicated designs, 3D graphic artistes and designers who have knowledge of construction and civil work.Most important of all we need an architect who is perfectionist having in-depth knowledge of Vastu, Vedic science of construction and mantras. Even one single mistake would mean abandoning the entire rock and searching for the new mountain. Administering thousands of labors to slice the rock and carve it with so much perfection need an able leader and astute decision maker who has complete design in mind with exemplary intricate details, before materializing it in real. Repeating such a feat even by using modern technology is almost impossible but ancient Hindu Sages/Yogis made it possible simply with their spiritual powers, astute direction to skilled and dedicated workers with endless divine blessings.

Posted by Ancient Indian Scientific Knowledge Forum

Hindu temple in China- Kaiyuan Temple

 
MAHAVIRA HALL OF ...Kaiyuan Temple (Chinese: 開元寺; pinyin: Kaiyuan Si; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Khai-gôan-sī), also known as the Ziyun Hall (Chinese: 紫雲堂; pinyin: Zǐyún táng; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Chí-hûn-tông), is a Buddhist temple in West Street, Quanzhou, China, the largest in Fujian province with an area of 78,000 square metres (840,000 sq ft).
It was originally built in 685 or 686 during the Tang Dynasty. Behind its main hall "Mahavira Hall”, there are some columns with fragments from a Shiva temple built in 1283 by the Tamil community in Quanzhou. The carvings are dispersed across five primary sites in Quanzhou and the neighboring areas. They were made in the South Indian style, and share close similarities with 13th-century temples constructed in the Chola Nadu region in Tamil Nadu. Nearly all of the carvings were carved with greenish-gray granite, which was widely available in the nearby hills and used in the region's local architecture. In 1983, the Kaiyuan Temple was designated as a national temple.

SUNDARA KAMAKSHI TEMPLE AT SIRUKARUMBUR- Has baby in womb

900 YEARS OLD SUNDARA KAMAKSHI TEMPLE AT SIRUKARUMBUR on the Madras - Bangalore road, just after crossing a small town called Ocheri, you find a board pointing to the left , with the name - Sirukarumbur.
Unlike the Devi Kamakshis in many other Temples, the Devi here is not seated but is in a standing position. She is a beauty as Her name suggests. The Linga is Swayambhu. The Devi Temple stands close to the Easwara Temple and is made of green stone. The Priest after telling us about how Devi's grace blesses couples with children, showed us this piece of sculptured - stone , fallen from the roof of Devi's Sanctum- a baby inside the womb.
 

Kanchipuram

Kanchipuram

Kanchipuram (12.82°N 79.71°E), the pilgrimage city, in South India, also known as Conjeevaram during the British rule, built during the Pallava Dynasty between 6th and 8th centuries, located on the bank of the Vedavathi River, has an architectural legacy of over 1000 years. Before this period, it was the capital of early Cholas in the 2nd century BC. After the rule of the Pallava Dynasty, the Vijayanagar empire and the Nayaka dynasty period followed, in that order. Prior to the Pallava reign, it is conjectured, based on the chronicles of the Xuan Zang, the Chinese pilgrim who visited Pallavas court, that the city was under the influence of Ashoka, the Mauryan emperor in 3rd century BC. Xuan Zang had also noted that Buddha had visited this place. Jain and Buddhist temples and stupas of the Chola Dynasty reign have been recorded but mostly do not exist on ground. But South Indian architecture got a fillip only during the Pallava rule, particularly of rock cut temples during Mahendarvarman I's reign after he converted from Jainism to Hinduism . He was considered a man with vision and intelligence, a scholar, musician and a playwright. Kanchipuram was considered second only to Varanasi city in fame and learning. Adi Shankara, the Hindu philosopher saint, who propagated the Advaita philosophy lived and taught here in the eighth century AD.

The city has 108 Shaiva and 18 Vaishnava temples. The Hindu philosopher Ramanujacharya who propagated the Vishishtadvaita philosophy studied here. The temples are distributed in three zones of the city namely, the Vishnu temples are in the east zone, the Shiva shrines are on the outskirts of the city in the northern zone and the Jain mandirs are on the east across the Vedavathi River.

Some of the exquisitely designed and built temples of the Vijayanagar period in Vijayanagara architecture style are the Ekamabaranath temple tower which is 192 feet (59 m) in height, and the Varadaraja Swamy temple, which has a 1000-pillar hall.

Kamakshi Amman temple is an ancient temple here and the most famous of all the temples in the city. It is associated with Adi Shankara. Legend has it that Kamakshi offered worship to a Shivaling made out of sand and gained Shiva's hand in marriage. The temple covers an area of about 5 acres (2.0 ha) and the sanctum is covered with gold plated Vimana. Kamakshi is enshrined in the temple in a sitting posture called the Parabramha Swaroopini, seated with the trinity of Bramha, Vishnu and Shiva.

It is located 75 kilometres (47 mi) from Chennai, the provincial capital of Tamil Nadu and 277 kilometres (172 mi) from Bangalore, the provincial capital of Karnataka. It has a good net work of roads, rail links and transport services to all parts of the country, and the nearest domestic and international airports are at Chennai.

Ujjain

Mahakal temple at Ujjain
Ujjain (23.182778°N 75.777222°E) with an ancient scriptural name of Avantika compliments both rich historical and religious traditions. The history dates its links to the period of Vikramaditya and Ashoka (3rd century BC). The religious tradition links it to god Shiva triumphing over the demon king Tripurasura and then renaming the city as Ujjainyini (meaning 'conquers with pride'

Ujjain, probably, also marks the spread of Hindu religious beliefs to the Central Asia region. Particular mention could be made to the reign of Vima Kadphises, during the Kushan Dynasty, who considered Shiva as his divine patron. During his reign, apart from the influence of Greek religious practices, worship of Shiva, in particular, was also seen as an accepted practice in Iran. This leaning is attributed to Vima Kadphises’s victory over Indian territory. Inscriptions of his times in Iran establish that he had converted the temple of Dioscuri (built during Greeko – Bactrian period) at Dilberjin into a sanctuary for Shiva by decorating the place with a painting of Shiva and his wife Parvati. He got the wall painting of Shiva (Oeso) done by craftsmen he had taken from Ujjayani (Ujjain), apart from constructing a water conveyance system to the sanctuary of Shiva. Inscriptions further testify that the Kushan king attributed his rise to power to Srava (=Shiva) and Candavira. It is deduced that Candavira may be the same god as Candishvara, the God of Mahakala temple at Ujjain. It is also conjectured that the support of the Indian community (who worshipped Shiva) settled in eastern Iran and the encouragement he got from their priesthood, before and during his Indian campaign, and his relations with Ujjain, contributed to his deep involvement with the cult of Shiva. This devotion was continued by him even after his Indian campaign.

Emperor Ashoka also played a significant role as the Viceroy of Ujjain in enhancing its importance. Ashoka who ruled for three decades between 268 and 233 BC started his career in Taxila (now in Pakistan) in the north west by subduing a revolt. Thereafter, his father Bindusara, of the Mauryan Dynasty, transferred Ashoka as his Viceroy to Ujjain, which was the famous capital of the earlier kingdom of Avanti, in Central India.

It was once the largest city and capital of Malwa region. In the ancient city of Ujjain, Jai Singh II ruled in the 18th century. Jai Singh II built an observatory here, called the Jantar Mantar. The reason for building the observatory here was that it was the centre of Hindu Astronomy since ancient times and it was located on the prime or first meridian (of longitude) established on the canons of Hindu astronomy. According to Indian astronomy, the first meridian of longitude passes through Ujjain. The modern calculations have established that the Tropic of Cancer passes through Ujjain.

Ujjain is about 776 kilometres (482 mi) south from Delhi, the capital city of India, and 183 kilometres (114 mi) west of Bhopal, the provincial capital of Madhya Pradesh. It is 402 kilometres (250 mi)away from Ahmedabad, and 655 kilometres (407 mi) north-west of Mumbai.

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Dashashwamedh Ghat

Sapta Puri, and the Seven Temples.

Varanasi.
Famous Dashashwamedh Ghat
Festival of the Ganges River worship by Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat
Varanasi (25.282°N 82.9563°E) also called Kashi, Benares, is an ancient city, said to be the oldest inhabited one. The city was known by several names such as Avimuktaka, Anandakanana, Mahasmasana, Surandhana, Brahma Vardha, Sudarsana, and Ramya.

In view of its ancient historic, cultural and religious heritage it is considered as “the most holy of the seven sacred cities of Hinduism”. Its historical and religious legacy dates to the Budhha period (6th Century BC) and has been the centre of religious “Brahminical learning” with sages, philosophers, writers and musicians making it their home in the past several centuries. But much of its temple glory was subject to plundering and destruction by Mohammad Ghauri in the 12th century. The temples and religious institutions seen now in the city are mostly of the 18th century vintage.

The temples and the bathing ghats (ghats are embankments made in steps of stone slabs along the river bank where pilgrims perform ritual ablutions) are located on the left west bank of the holy Ganges river and the count of temples in the city is claimed to be 23,000 and the bathing ghats number 81. The most venerated and frequented ghats for devotional worship by the pilgrims are the Manikarnika Ghat, Dashashwamedh Ghat (pictured) and Panchganga Ghat. At one of the ghats, Hindus cremate their dead. The rivers 'Varun' and 'Asi' combined form the name of the city "Varanasi". These two rivers flowing on the left bank of the Ganges enclose the old city of Varanasi. The ghats at the confluence sites of these two streams with the Ganges are also held in veneration. All these factors have contributed to the city being called the religious capital of Hinduism.

Varanasi is also known as the favourite city of the Hindu deity Lord Shiva as it has been mentioned in the Rigveda that this city in older times was known as Kashi or "Shiv ki Nagri".The Pandavas went to Kashi in search of Shiva to atone for their sins of fratricide and bramhanahatya that they had committed during the epic Kurukshetra war of Mahabharata epic.

Among the innumerable temples in the city, most worshipped are: the Kashi Vishvanath Temple of Shiva; the Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple; and the Durga Temple known for the band of monkeys that reside in the large trees nearby. In addition, there are two new temples, the Tulasi Manas and the Vishvanatha temple located in the Banaras Hindu University campus. Ancient Buddhist monasteries are seen at Sarnath, but they are mostly in ruins. There are also temples built by the Maha Bodhi Society and by the Chinese, Burmese, and Tibetan Buddhists.

Religious festivals are held here. On the occasion of the Mahashivaratri (meaning great night of Shiva) a procession of Shiva is taken from the Mahamrityunjaya Temple to the Kashi Vishvanath Temple. Another popular festival is the Ganges festival held in November or December when the Ganges is venerated by arti offered by thousands of pilgrims who also release lighted lamps to float in the river from the ghats (pictured). The historic event of Rama returning after 14 years of exile, termed vanavas (living in forest) in Sanskrit, and meeting his younger brother Bharat is celebrated during October or November as Bharat Milap ('Milap' means "meeting") festival. At the Tulsi Ghat, a classical musical soiree, particularly of dhrupad style, is held during March for 5 days where iconic artists from all parts of India are invited to perform.

In one sentence, Mark Twain, the renowned Indophile, has extolled the greatness of Varanasi thus: "Benares is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend, and looks twice as old as all of them put together."

Varanasi is 780 kilometres (480 mi) from Delhi, the national capital and 300 kilometres (190 mi) from Lucknow, the provincial capital of Uttar Pradesh.Sapta Puri and the Seven Temples. End of Report.

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Mandawa

Mandawa is a town in Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan in India. It is part of Shekhawati region. Mandawa is situated 190 km off Jaipur in the north. The town lies between latitude 28° 06’ in the north and longitude 75° 20’ in the east. Mandawa is known for its fort and havelis. The fort town of Mandawa is well connected with the other places in region through a good network of roads.

The City of Mandawa was made a thikana in the mid of 18th century by the Bhojraj Ji Kasubsub clan of Shekhawat Rajputs. About the origin of this town there have been earlier references to Mandu[disambiguation needed] Jat as founder of the Mandawa village. He first established a dhani (hamlet) and dug a well here, which was completed on savan badi 5 samvat 1797 (1740 AD) (source – Shekhawati Bodh, Mandawa special issue, July 2005). Initially this place was known as ‘Mandu ki dhani’, ‘Mandu ka bas’ or ‘Manduwas’ which changed to ‘Manduwa’, ‘Mandwa’ and finally ‘Mandawa’.

Amir Khan starer movie PK shot in Mandawa. Salman khan starer movie Bajrangi bhaijan shot Mandawa in year 2015. Anil Kapoor`s son Harshavardhan in his latest movie `Mirza Sahiban shot in Mandawa in year 2015. Sewaram Saraf Haveli is the Bollywood's Favourite spot for Movie Shooting

A remote feudal principality in the centre of the Shekhawati region, Mandawa was a trading outpost for the ancient caravan routes that stopped here from China and the Middle East. Thakur Nawal Singh, the Rajput ruler of Nawalgarh and Mandawa, built a fort in 1755 to protect this outpost. The township that grew around the fort soon attracted a large community of traders, who settled here.

Mandawa is located at 28.05°N 75.15°E. It has an average elevation of 316 metres (1036 ft). In the north side it has four villages named Bazisar, Kamalsar, Kuharu, and Godu ka bas and east side three villages named Tetara(Chandrpura), Syopura, and Hanumanpura (Dular ka bas), south sides villages names are Mithwas, Dinwa Ladhkhani and west side are Khalasi, Sadinsar, Tihawali, and Dabari.

As of 2001 India census,[3] Mandawa had a population of 20,717. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Mandawa has an average literacy rate of 58%, lower than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 70%, and female literacy is 45%. In Mandawa, 18% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Mandawa fort.
The fort of Mandawa was founded in the 18th century. Thakur Nawal Singh, son of Shardul Singh, founded the fort in vikram samvat 1812 (1755 AD). The fort dominates the town with a painted arched gateway adorned with Lord Krishna and his cows. Built as per a medieval theme, the castle of Mandawa is adorned with beautiful frescoes.Rooms in the palace are decorated with paintings of Lord Krishna, exquisite carvings and amazing mirror work. The palace's Durbar Hall houses a number of antiques and paintings.

Situated in the middle of the town, the Mandawa Fort has been converted into a heritage hotel.

Haveli in Mandawa
This town has been referred to as the "open art gallery" of Rajasthan because the entire Shekhawati region and not just Mandawa is dotted with fascinating mansions(havelis) that have lavishly painted walls.

Sewaram Saraf Haveli
This 100 year old Haveli is famous for its architecture and paintings, Bollywood's Favorite Destination for Movie Shooting, PK, Bajrangi Bhaijan, Mirza Sahibaan and many more

Ram Pratab Nemani Haveli

The Haveli has been recently converted into a Heritage Hotel where one can experience untouched frescos dating back to the 18th century. Vivaana Culture Hotel is a captivating twin haveli adorned with fascinating paintings. Both the exterior and interior boast of superb and rare artifacts and frescos. The over a century old haveli has been lovingly restored and renovated maintaining the old world charm.

Hanuman Prasad Goenka Haveli
This haveli has a painting depicting Indra Dev on an elephant and Lord Shiva on his Nandi bull.
Goenka Double Haveli
This haveli, with two gates, has a monumental façade of elephants and horses. The outer walls, jutting balconies, alcoves and overhanging upper storeys are replete with patterns and paintings, ranging from traditional Rajasthani women and religious motifs to Europeans wearing stylish hats and other Victorian finery.

Murmuria Haveli
The paintings of trains, cars, George V, and Venice were executed on the walls of this haveli during the 1930s by Balu Ram, one of the last working artists of the region. In pictures - like Lord Krishna with his cows in the English courtyard and a young Nehru on a horseback, holding the national flag - this haveli uses a unique theme blending the East with the West. The haveli also features a long frieze depicting a train with a crow flying above the engine and much activity at the railway crossing.
Jhunjhunwala Haveli
The haveli features a striking gold leaf painted room located to the right of main courtyard.
Mohan Lal Saraf Haveli
A picture of a Maharaja stroking his moustaches beautifies this haveli.
Gulab Rai Ladia Haveli
This haveli is located in the south of town, where the decoration of the outer and inner walls is perhaps the finest in Shekhawati. Blue washes here and there betray twentieth-century censorship of the erotic scenes that had been commonly acceptable one hundred years earlier.
The Binsidhar Newatia Haveli, Lakshminarayan Ladia Haveli and Chokhani Double Haveli are some of the other painted havelis in the area.

Murals in the Thakurji temple, located opposite the Goenka Double Haveli and the Murmuria Haveli, include soldiers being shot from the mouths of cannons, a reflection of the horrors of the Mutiny of 1857. Further west are a couple of chhatris, and a step-well, still used today and bearing paintings inside its decorative corner domes.

Aakharam ka Haveli
This more than 100 year old haveli is located in main market of the town, near sonthaliya darwaza.

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