Saptaparni Cave: Venue of the First Buddhist Council

Saptaparni Cave, Rajgir, Bihar

Located near Rajgir (Rajagriha) in Bihar, Sattapanni or Saptaparni Cave is said to be the venue for the First Buddhist Council (sangiti). The first Buddhist council  was held to compile the dhamma (religious doctrines) and the vinaya (monastic code). 

Rajagriha, which once served the capital of 6th century BC Magadhan ruler Bimbisara, is sixty miles to the south-east of the modern Patna, the capital of Bihar. 

The first council was participated in by five hundred monks. At the council, Upali, one of the Buddha’s chief disciples, recited the vinaya pitaka, or Rules of the Order, while another important disciple Ananada recited the sutta pitaka, the collection of the Buddha’s sermons on matters of doctrine and ethics.

Bodhgaya, the most important site of Buddhist pilgrimage in the world

Mahabodhi Temple, Bodhgaya, Bihar

Situated in the eastern state of Bihar in India, Bodhgaya is a sacred site of the first order for the Buddhists. the UNESCO World Heritage listed Mahabodhi Temple is the central temple  of Bodhgaya which is an obligatory stop on the Buddhist pilgrimage circuit. 

Adjacent to the Mahabodhi Temple is the Bodhi tree itself under which Prince Siddhartha Gautama is said to have attained Enlightenment 2,500 years ago. As a result he became the Buddha, meaning the Enlightened One. Bodh Gaya was known as Uruvela during Buddha’s times.  

On the Buddha Purnima day Bodh Gaya teems with devotees who come from almost all parts of the world and participate in the religious activities at the Mahabodhi Temple which begin at dawn and continue till late in the evening.

2024 Amarnath Yatra in Pictures: Surreal Photos from Holy Shrine

Located in one of the world’s most incredible landscapes of Lidder Valley in Kashmir, the cave shrine of Shri Amarnath is situated at an altitude of 3680 mts.

At Amarnath, the Lingam, a symbol of Lord Shiva, waxes and wanes with the moon. The waxing and waning of the Lingam with the moon  has remained a world marvel

To reach the holy shrine of Amarnath devotees have to trek a height of about 14,500 feet.

A visit to Amarnath provides a wonderful opportunity to soak in the sacred energies of the Himalayas.

The Amarnath Yatra involves trekking at high altitudes upto 14000 ft., under difficult conditions and uncertain weather.

Vaishno Devi

One of the most revered pilgrim places for the Hindus, the Vaishno Devi shrine on the Trikuta hills is a steep ascent of 5200 feet from Katra, which is 45km from Jammu. 

The journey to the holy cave shrine of Vaishno Devi in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is full of intense religious activity, thrill and joy. 

700-year old Moidams of Assam’s Ahom Dynasty Inscribed on UNESCO World Heritage List

The 700-year-old mound-burial system of the Ahom dynasty in Assam ‘Moidams’ has been included in the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Heritage List, becoming the first cultural site from the Northeast India to make it to the coveted list.

The decision to include Moidams in the list was taken during the ongoing 46th session of the World Heritage Committee (WHC) being held in Delhi.

Till date, the World Heritage Committee has inscribed 1,199 sites in 168 countries on the list. India has 43 of its sites on the list.

Moidams are a burial system, pyramid-like in shape, with hollow vaults that contain the remains of Ahom kings and royals. The Ahom dynasty ruled Assam from the 13th to the 19th centuries.

The greatest king of the Ahom dynasty was Sukhrungpha or Sworgodeu Rudra Singha (c.1696-1714 AD). Except for those of Rudra Singha and his father Gadhadhar Singha, most moidams remain unidentified.

“The gavel is struck! Moidams - Ahom dynasty's unique Mound-Burial system in Assam has become the 43rd site from India to be inscribed on @UNESCO's World Heritage List. Nearly 700 yrs old, Moidams are hollow vaults of brick, stone or earth & contain the remains of kings & royals,” announced United Nations in India.

 

 

Khirachora Gopinath temple, Remuna, Odisha

Khirachora Gopinath Temple, Remuna, Balasore, Odisha / Image Credit

Remuna is 9km from Balasore in Odisha and an important Vaishnava centre. The place has been a seat of Vaishnavite culture for centuries. The place’s claim to fame is the famous shrine of Khirachora Gopinath temple that draws devotees in a large number.

Remuna was visited by the greatest Vaishnavite saint of Bengal, Chaitanya, on his way to Jagannatha Puri. 

Qutb Minar: Signature Monument of Delhi

An Illuminated Qutab Minar

A signature monument of Delhi, Qutub Minar is a minaret that forms part of the Qutb complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Mehrauli area of Delhi. 

Made of red sandstone and marble, Qutub Minar is a 73-metre (240 feet) tall tapering tower of five storeys, with a 14.3 metre (47 feet) base diameter, reducing to 2.7 metres (9 feet) at the peak. It contains a spiral staircase of 379 steps. Its design is thought to have been based on the Minaret of Jam, in western Afghanistan.

Qutb-Ud-Din-Aibak, founder of the Delhi Sultanate and first Muslim ruler of Delhi, started construction of the Qutub Minar's first storey around 1192. In 1220, Aibak's son-in-law, Shamsuddin Iltutmish, completed a further three storeys. (chaugan). Iltutmish had ascended to the throne of Delhi Sultanate after a brief reign of Aram Shah after the death of Qutb-ud-din in 1210. 

In 1369, a lightning strike destroyed the top storey of the structure. Firoz ShahTughlaq (1309-1388) replaced the damaged storey, and added one more.

Qutb Minar is named after Qutb-Ud-Din-Aibak. However, according to some historians, the tower derives its name from the famous Sufi saint Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki, a disciple of Moinuddin Chisti, the founder of the Chisti order in India. The tomb of Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki is half km from Qutb Minar.