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| ASSAM |
Assam name itself is derived from the Sanskrit word 'Asoma', meaning peerless. The land of Assam, is in fact, peerless, judging by her exquisite natural beauty, cultural richness and human wealth. Assam has a rich legacy of culture and civilisation behind her. Home to different races of men - Austric, Mongolian, Dravidian, and Aryan, who came to dwell in these hills at different points of time. Assam has developed a composite culture of variegated colour.
Assam, the land of hills and valleys, the land of the mighty river Brahmaputra, the land of Mother Goddess Kamakhya, lies in the northeastern corner of India.
Climate-Assam has four well defined seasons in a year. Summer, monsoon, winter and spring-- these four |
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seasons presents Assam in different moods. The best time to visit Assam is during the winters and spring seasons. October to April offer a mild and moderate climate. Assam is never extremely cold or hot.Clothing- As the climate of Assam is not very extreme, clothing is very simple. Winters require light woolen clothes and summers can be enjoyed in cotton attires.
This is Assam, a place which lives in different moods in different times. Rows of ancient monuments, temples of pristine charm and ruins of a bygone eras take you through the corridors of time. Assam has drawn people from diverse cultures and races in different points of time. They are the colourful people, weaving fairy tales in dresses, singing and dancing in clouds and sunshine of pastoral life, creating art out of life adding colour to itself.
Exotic denizens of the sylvan world add to the mystery and charm of this weird land. Frolick of apes, graceful elephants, fluttering of wings & singing of birds, migratory birds flying into the hills, the majestic tiger enforcing his authority all invite you to carry back home a little what the heaven is made of. The rhino emerges as if from prehistory and treads the Kaziranga National park. And who can forget lush green Tea gardens which beckon you to have a cup of fresh tea and enjoy the enthralling music of life.
The capital of Assam, is Dispur, a suburb of Guwahati in 1972. The uneven topography of the land, full of hills, plains and rivers might, therefore, have contributed to her name. The Mongolian Ahom dynasty which had ruled Assam for more than six hundred years might also be the cause for her name.
Assam is a land with an illustrious recorded history going back to the 4th century BC. Assam was an independent kingdom throughout all of history till the end of the first quarter of the 19th century when the British conquered the kingdom and annexed it to British India. The current state capital of Assam, Guwahati, known in ancient time as Pragjyotishpura or The Eastern City of Light, was the capital of Kamrup which finds frequent mention in the Great Hindu Epic Mahabharata and other Sanskrit volumes and historical lores. Assam's economy is based on agriculture and oil. Assam produces a significant part of the total tea production of the world. Assam produces more than half of India's petroleum.
Industries :Tea, Petroleum, Handlooms, Sericulture, Cane, Bamboo, Carpentry, Brass, Metal crafts
Crops:Rice, Jute, Tea, Cotton, Oil Seeds, Sugar-cane, Potatoes.
Assam is rich in minerals. It produces 55% of the tea produced in the country. Petroleum products are the other major contribution of the state.
The current political situation in Assam is unstable with United Liberation of Asom (ULFA) fighting a low-intensity but wide-spread guerrilla warfare for independence from India. Although the Indian military has tried to quell the insurgents with a large presence for more than ten years, they have been not very successful. There are other militant groups who are seeking independence or autonomy in Assam.
There have been consistent reports of grave human rights violations in Assam committed primarily by the Indian military. The humidity that is brought into Assam by the southwest monsoons, which shower an average annual rainfall of 120 inches or more on the great Brahmaputra valley and the surrounding region, also create spectacular sunsets during most of the year. The monsoons are Assam's life blood; creating a bio-diversity that can compete with the equatorial rain-forests and painting the region with a thousand shades of green.
Assam produces almost 400 million kg tea per annum. Assam tea is famous for its rich full bodied, bright liquor. The tea from here is best for those who prefer a strong cup.
Capital : Dispur
Area : 78,438 sq km Population : aprrox. 24,800,000
Principal Language: Assamese
Literacy Ratio: 53% No. of Districts: 24 Cities :Guwahati, Dispur, Dibrugarh, Jorhat
Airports: Guwahati, Dibrugarh, Tejpur, Jorhat, Silchar, Rilabari. |
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| KARNATAKA |
Karnataka is a land of fragrance - fragrance of enchanting perfume of sandal and agarbathis, the aroma of fresh roasted coffee beans, the head fragrance of the Mysore Mallige and thousands of roses blossoming. Ancient sculptured temples, magnificent palaces, ornate buildings and colourful festivals blend beautifully with the evergreen forests, golden beaches, orange groves and garden cities to form this exquisite land.
Area 1,91,791 Sq. km.
Capital Bangalore
Boundaries East- Andhra Pradesh West - Goa and the Arabian Sea, South - Kerala and Karnataka, North - |
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Maharashtra .
Language Kannada
Airports Bangolare, Mangalore, Hubli and Belgaum.
Population 44,850,000 aprrox.
Literacy Ratio 56%
No. of Districts 20
Minerals: Iron Ore, Copper, Manganese, China clay, Limestone, Chromite, Gold
Major Cities: Bangalore, Mangalore, Mysore, Hubli, Belgaum
Crops: Rice, Maize, Raji, Bajra, Jowar, Cardomom, Apricot, Coconut, Cotton, Groundnut, Chillies, Sugar-cane, Tobacco, Castor seeds, Tea
Roads: Karnataka had 1,37,520 km (1996-97) of motorable roads including 1,997 km of national highways. The surfaced road length with 87,000 km constituted 65% of the total road length.
History
The name Karnataka is derived from Karunadu, literally lofty land. The history of Karnataka dates back to the period of epics. The capital of Bali and Sugreeva, 'Monkey Kings' of the Ramayana is said to have been Hampi in the Bellary district. In the 4'th century BC, a local dynasty Satavahana came to power and his dynasty's rule lasted nearly 300 years. With the disintegration of the Satavahana dynasty, the Kadambas came to power in the north, and the Gangas in the south of the state. The gigantic monolithic statue of Gomateswara is considered to be the monument of the Ganga period. The Chalukyas of Badami (500 to 735 AD) ruled over a wider area, from the Narmada to the Kaveri from the days of Pulikeshi II (609 to 642 AD) who had even defeated Harshvardhana of Kannauj. This dynasty created fine monuments at Badami, Aihole and Pattadakal, both structural and rock-cut. Aihole has been one of the cradles of temple architecture in the country. The Rastrakatas (753-973 AD) of Malkhed who succeeded them levied tribute on the rulers of Kannauj successively in the so-called Age of 'Imperial Kannauj'. Kannada literature developed in this period. Outstanding Jain scholars of India lived in their court. The Chalukyas of Kalyana (973 to 1183 AD) and their feudatories, the Hoysalas of Halebidu built fine temples, encouraged literature and fine arts. Noted jurist Vijnaneshwara (work-Mitakshara) lived at Kalyana. The great religious leader Basaveshwara was a minister at Kalyana. Vijaynagar empire (1136 to 1646 AD) fostered indigenous traditions and encouraged arts religion and literature in Sanskrit, Kannada, Telugu and Tamil. Overseas trade flourished. The Bahamani Sultans (Capital-Gulbarga, later Bidar and Bijapur) Adilshahis raised fine Indo-Saranic buildings and encouraged Urdu and Persian literature. Advent of the Portuguese resulted in the introduction of new crops (tobacco, chillies, potato etc.). After the fall of Peshwa (1818 AD) and Tipu (1799 AD) Karnataka came under the British.
After independence, the new united Mysore State was created in 1956 and was renamed Karnataka in 1973 AD.
Important Museums
Bangalore : Government Museums - Cubbon Park, Karnataka Government Museum and Venkatappa Art Gallery, Visvesvarya Industrial and Techonological Museum
Bijapur : Archaeological Museum
Halebid : Archaeological Museum
Hampi : Archaeological Museum
Srirangapatanam : Tipu Sultan Museum
Mysore : Sri Chamarajendra Art Gallery - Jagan Mohan Palace, Museum of Art and Archaeology - University of Mysore, Folklore Museums - University of Mysore.
Hill Resorts
Kammanagudi (1434 m) Railhead - Terikere 38 km
Madikere (1170 m) Railhead - Mysore 120km
Nandi Hills (1479 m) Railhead - Bangalore 60 km
Pilgrim Centres
Bijapur : Ibrahim Rauza, tomb of Ibrahim Adil Shahi.
Dharmasthala : Temple of Manjunatha (Shiva), Gomateshwara statue and Jain centre.
Gokarna : There is a Shiva temple with Atmalinga worshipped by Ravana.
Mysore : Chamundeswari temple on the top of Chamundi hill.
Pattadakal : Sangameswara temple.
Shivanga : Temple dedicated to Gangadhara and Honna Devi.
Soundatti : Temple of Renuka or Yellamma.
Sringeri : Spot on the banks of Tunga river where Adi Shankaracharya established the first math.
Talakaveri : Source of Kaveri river.
Udipi : Krishna Temple and seat of the eight mathas founded by Madhvacharya.
Whitefield : Satya Sai Baba Ashram. |
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| BIHAR
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| Of all India’s states, Bihar is the one most intimately linked to the Buddha’s life, resulting in a trail of pilgrimages which have come to be known as the Buddhist circuit. The very name Bihar is derived from the world ’vihara’, which means Buddhist monastery. The Buddhist trail begins at the capital city, Patna, where a noteworthy museum contains a collection of Hindu and Buddhist sculptures. To the south of Patna is Nalanda which translates as ’the place that confers the lotus’ (of spiritual knowledge). A monastic university flourished here from the 5th to the 11th century. Rajgir, ‘the royal palace’, was the venue for the first Buddhist Council. The Buddha spent five years at Rajgir after having attained enlightenment, and many of the remains at Rajgir commemorate various incidents. Bodhgaya is the spot where Lord Buddha attained enlightenment, with the Mahabodhi Temple marking the precise location. Bihar’s Buddhist circuit has modest back-up facilities by way of accommodation, international dining and surface transport |
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Since the inception of its history which dates back to 500 year ago Bihar has been recognized on cradle of movements in the field of art, culture and religion literature & human rights a postles of peace Lord Buddha, Mahavir, Great Guru Govind Singh and Mahatma Gandhi and great sufie saint further heighened with the visit of great chinese tourist Fahien, who has distinctly narrated the attaintments of the University at that time took birth on this land. It is the land on which the earliest seeds of democracy took roots and however hossemed into the form of governence with the advent of Lord, it withessed a cultural renaissance as in the preachings of the Lord Buddha was seen the right answer to the woos & suffering of the rest humanity at the hands of loot, tyranny & boilance. People embraced Buddhism and the echest holiest sermon Buddham Saranam Gachhami sent the air reached beyond the boundaries of our country and seat of leaning at Nalanda, where students outside the boundaries of our country joined the course got acknowledged the world over. Lord Buddha delivered his preachings at this place of learning. The glory of Nalanda gate.
Bihar has basked in the glory of Magadh Empire in the period of Mauryans, Guptas and Pal, Vikramshila University, whose ruins speak of best as this glorious deat of learning was constructed during Pal dynasty.
The state of Bihar lies along the eastern Gangetic Plains in North India, A land that has been the passing of many dynasties of ancient India, Bihar has also been the birth place of two treat theologies -Buddhism and Jainism. As a place of pilgrimage for centuries, even the name Bihar is desired from 'Vihar' as a Buddhist monasteries, Reflecting its ancient history, Bihar has some of the finest monuments of Hindu and Mughal architecture. And through the state flows the majestic river Ganga a saga of events of centuries old civilization. The scenery and climate of the State range from the foot hills of Himalayas, over the vast and fertile plains of the Ganga to the hills, forests and wide plateau. The land and people, fairs and festivals, arts and crafts, flora and fauna of Bihar, are all epitomes of diversity, which enchant and thrill tourists.
Bihar offers to tourists a variegated wealth of Indian Civilization, history and culture compled with enqeuisite scenic beauties and wild life within its precinet are located, places like Rajgir and Patliputra, ancient capital of mighty magadhan empire, Vaishali-the first republican state the world; Bodhgaya where lord Buddha attained the suprime enlightenment, Nalanda-the great seat of international learning and Patna Saheb-the birth place of Guru Govind Singh, the last Guru of the Sikh.
Travel Info:
By Air :Bihar has airport at Patna connected to Delhi, Mumbai, Lucknow, Calcutta, as well as Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. Indian Airlines and Sahara Airways have direct flights between Patna and Delhi.
By Rail :The state has a well-developed railway network with almost all the major and minor places connected through good trains. Major railway stations like Patna, Muzaffarpur and Gaya are connected to all the major cities of India by regular trains.
By Road :There is good network of roads connecting all the major parts of the state with Patna, the state capital. National Highways like 2, 23, 28, 30, 31, and 33 connect the state to places all over India. The distance of some of the major places in the state from Patna are Sonepur 25 km, Vaishali 55 km, Nalanda 90 km, Gaya 97 km, Bodhgaya 110 km, and Ranchi 289 km.
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| CHHATTISGARH |
Chhattisgarh State largely consists of plateaus streaked with high range of Satpuras in the North, the river Mahanadi and its tributaries in the Central Plains and the Bastar Plateau in the South. The Past (Hills) give rises to the main river systems- Mahanadi, Hasdo, Sheonath and Indravati.
Intersected by these meandering rivers and dotted with hills and plateaus, the state has varied natural settings of great beauty. To the north of river Shivnath there were 18 garhs belonging to the Kalchuris and to the South there were another 18 garhs belonging to the Kalchuris of Raipur. Hence, the total of these 36 Garhs (Forts) formed the basis of naming this region as Chhattisgarh. Chhattisgarh lies between 17 - 46' to 24 - 5' North and 80 - 15' to 84 - 20' East. It covers an area of 1,35,133 Sq. kms. bordering six other states - Uttar Pradesh and |
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Jharkhand in the North, Orissa in the East, Andhra Pradesh in the South, Maharashtra in the South West and Madhya Pradesh in the North West.
Although the newly formed state came into existence on 1st November 2000, its cultural heritage is as ancient as Stone age. In ancient times Chhattisgarh was known as Dakshin Koshal. Geographical evidence of the place is found in the Ramayana and the Mahabharat. Lord Rama entered Dandkarnaya from North-East of Koshal and spent some of his exile (forest-living) period here. In Mahabharat's Rajsoo Yagya episode the description of Dakshin Koshal has been found. In historical records in Samudragupta Prayag eulogy, description of Kosal has been found. After the sixth century evidence of political insurgence of Dakshin Koshal has been found.
From Sixth Century to mid-twelve century Sarabhpurnima, Panduvanshi, Somvanshi, Kalchuri and Nagwanshi rulers dominated the region. The various documents, Copper plaques, coins, and archeological goods apprise us about the cultural heritage and political development of that time. In contemporary history evidence of ancient people has been found in the hills of Raigarh, Singhanpur, Kabra, Basnajhar, Boslada and Ongana mountains at "Chitwandongri" in Rajnandgaon district. The stone equipment made and used by ancient people have been found from the coasts of Mahanadi, Mand, Kanhar, Manihari, and Kelo River.
The rock-paintings of Singhanpur and Kabra mountains are quite famous among contemporary painting due to variety and style. Among remains of historical age, traces of bone, animal burial has been found in abundance in Raipur and Durg districts. Along with archaeology, the culture of Chhattisgarh is also quite famous. The tribal Kanwars, Kamar, Baiga. Halba, Korea, Pando, Birhai, Biniwar make the atmosphere cheerful by their dance and song, on the occasion of marriage and other festivals. The rice-bowl Chhattisgarh land has unique eroticism and Sweetness.
Apart from the mesmerizing dances songs of Dadra, Pandwani, Karma, Panthi and Suva, the region has National parks/Sanctuaries and has places of archaeological and religions importance such as Sirpur, Rajim, Malhar, Sita Bengra, Jogibhatta, Deepadih, Dantewada and Dongargarh where tourists come automatically. The ancient deposits of Chhattisgarh and Jain religion memorials are found at Malhar, Sirpur, Maheshpur and Arang. Innumerable monuments, finely carved temple, vihars, forts and palaces raise in the visitors mind visions of dynasties and kingdoms of great warriors and builders, of poets and musicians, of saints and philosophers, of Hindusim, Buddhism, Jainism, Christianity, and Islam.
Saint Guru Ghasidas of Satnami samaj, Mahaprabhu Vallabhacharya of vaishnav samaj and the great poet and saint Kabirdas also hails from this state. The celebrated chinese traveler Huein Tsang visited the state in the middle of 7th century A.D. Nearly half (44%) of the state is forested and offers a unique panorama of flora and fauna. The national parks of Kanger Valley and Indravati, the Sanctuaries of Udanti, Sitanadi, Barnawapara, Achanakmar, Gomardah, Tamorpingla etc.
Offer the rare opportunity to see the wild buffalo, gaur, tiger, leopard, singing maina and wide variety of antelopes in sylvan surroundings. A variety of tradition in each of three geographical and cultural regions of Baghelkhand plateau, the plains of Mahandi basin, and the Dandkarnaya plateau of Bastar Have added colour to the states rich cultural tapestry, making it a many splendor land.
PLACE TO SEE-Champaran (Champajhar) The village Champajhar now known as Champaran situated 60 Km from Raipur is famous as the birth place of Saint Vallabhacharya, the reformer and founder of the Vallabh Sect. There is a temple constructed in honour of Swamy Vallabhacharya and a temple of Champakeshwara Mahadeva. Two well furnished Dharmasalas are available for stay at Champaran. The birth anniversary of the saint is celebrated during April - May when large number of his followers assemble to pay homage. An annual fair is also held during January- February.
Mahant Ghasidas Memorial Museum
Located near D.K.Hospital, the Museum was established in 1875 by Raja Mahant Ghasidas of Rajnandgaon. The museum records the major events in the town's history. It has two floors with five galleries. The first floor has objects related to nature and its history containing various mammals, Snakes, and birds. There is also a huge library here.
Mahakoshal Art Gallery
This octagon shaped gallery is also located near D.K.Hospital. This gallery displays art works of the locals.
Budhapara Lake
There are many lakes in Raipur. The biggest of them is the spectacular lake Budhapara, built around 1402, by Kalchuri emperor King Bramhdeo. Another lake of prominence is the Kho-kho lake. There are many beautiful parks also in Raipur city.
Sirpur or Shripur
Sirpur or Shripur the city of wealth has been mentioned in ancient epigraphic records and dates back to a periods ranging from between the Fifth and the Eighth century A.D. It was then the capital of the Sarbhapuriya and Somvanshi Kings of Dakshin Kosala or Chhattigarh. It was an important centre of Buddhist from the 6th the 10th century A.D. and was visited by Hieun Tsang, the 7th Century Chinese Pilgrims and Scholar. Excavations in and around the village have yielded scores of temple sites constructed of bricks, stone pillars and sculptures such as the Shiva Temple of Panchayatan style and the beautiful sculpture of Mahishasuramardini. Two Buddhist monasteries have also been found.
The Lakshmana Temple found here is a brick temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. The temple is the only brick temple of its size still standing in this State. The door frame is of stone and a figure of the reclining Vishnu on the Sheshnag may be found on the Lintel. This temple was built by Vasata, the widow queen of Harsh Gupta of the Somvansh. Another temple is the GANDHESHESHWARA TEMPLE (formerly Gandharveshvara) and is interesting because of the Epigraphic records and Genealogy of the Kings of the Somvansh. Some extremely good Vaishnav sculptures are to be found in the Mandapa and several Jain, Buddhist and Hindu Sculptures have been collected in the precincts of the temple. The most interesting feature of the Sirpur site is that archeological pieces connected with the Shaiv, Vaishnav, Jain and Buddhist religions (of approximately the same age) have been found side by side. The ruins are seen on the banks of numerous tanks existing within a radius of about 6 kilometers around Sirpur.
Turturiya
The Forest village Turturiya Situated on the bank of a spring called Turturiya or Sursuri Ganga contains numerous buddhist remains of 8th Century A.D. and the Brahmanical remains of later period. The site yielded numerous exquisitely sculptured pillars, remains of STUPA made of fine bricks, traces of bathing Ghats, Lingams figures of four armed Vishnu, Ganesha, a man hunting a lion with sword and a man wrestling with an animal. There are numerous heaps of ruins all of bricks, picked with stone. The place is of a great archaeological and anthropological interest.
Rajim
Situated on the right bank of the river Mahanadi was one of the important urban centres in the Mahakoshal region. It is famous for its fine group of temples. The main temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu known as Rajivalochana Temple. The twelve pillars of the temple have tall single figures sculptured on the face like Durga with eight arms, the Ganga and Yamuna and exquisitely carved incarnation of Vishnu, Rama, Varaha (boar) and Narasimha (Man-cum-Lion) etc. There is also a black stone statue of the Budha meditating under the Bodhi tree. There are other temples around the main temple of Rajivalochana dedicated to different incarnations of lord Vishnu such as Vamana (dwart) Narasimha (Man-cum-Lion) Badrinath and Jagannath. Of the ruins of numerous temples found nearby the most remarkable is that of Kuleshvara Mahadeva Temple. The tongue of the land on which the temple stands became severed from the main land by the river and is now actually on an island. Three inscriptions belonging to Somavanashis, Nalas and Kalchuris are found here.
Barnawapara Sanctuary
Barnawapara sanctuary occupies the Northern part of Mahasamund District and covers an area of 244.66 sq. Kms.
Sita Nadi Sanctuary:
The Sitanadi Sanctuary occupies the Southern most parts of Dhamtari Tehsil in Raipur District land joins Orrisa State boundary. It covers lover 552.55 Sq. Kms. of area.
Udanti Sanctuary:
The Udanti Sanctuary occupies the South-Eastern portion of Gariaband Tehsil of Raipur District and adjoins Orissa State in Eastern side. It covers an area of 247.59 Sq. Kms. The Sanctuary is principally created to protect the wild buffaloes. The other species are also abundant in the area.
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