To the little I remember of the Annapurna Range
Along the greatest heights of the Himalayas where cold mountains meet the heated Indian plains lies the land of Yaks and Yetis, Stupas and Sherpas – Nepal.
It was 9 years ago that I visited this place. I was 16 then and had no inclinations to write travelogues, but today when I look back, I wish I had.
To the little I remember of the Annapurna Range....Here I go...
It was the scotching summer of 2000, and May being the holiday season for all we cousins, the elders of the family planned a trip to the north. It was once again a family trip, this time to a rare destination in Nepal stretching for a fortnight.
As per the agenda, it was decided that we first go to ‘Ayodhya – the birth place of Lord Rama’, from there to ‘Naimisharanya – the forest where Lord Rama wandered during his exile’ and then to ‘Pokhara’ in Nepal and further to ‘Muktinath’ , our final destination.
Day 1
On the 17th of May 2000, as the evening was setting in, the epitome of excitement was rising higher as the 14 of us (the rest 5 join in later) gathered on the platform of the Bangalore Railway station.
The luggage was boarded in time and the train marched off. No sooner had the train started, began the session of snacking, mythological stories, card games, and the shunting between the deserted coaches. Two eventful days went by only to realise we were breaking journey in Lucknow instead of Gorakhpur which was originally where we had to get off.
Day 3:
Lucknow – the capital city of Uttar Pradesh and popularly known as the City of Nawabs was nowhere close to an impressive look for we first timers. The fiery heat added to the frustration and finally made our way to the Perfumed Palace – Our Hotel Shobha, situated on the main drainage canal of Lucknow. Our sightseeing began from our very own railing-less balcony of the pigs wallowing in the muck.
We then headed out to see the actual city of nawabs. Lucknow wore such a rural look that it was very difficult for us to believe that we were travelling in the capital city of Uttar Pradesh.
The pat-pattis (huge diesel run autos) came to a halt at the much unwanted ‘chickan palace’ – a showroom with lucknow chickan work. From here we proceeded to the ‘Great Imambara’ through the suffocating mandis – wholesale markets dealing with red chillies and jaggery.
The Imambara was built by Nawab Asaf-Ud-Dowlah during the 17th century. With the ambition to outshine the splendour of Mughal architecture, he built a number of monuments and developed the city of Lucknow into an architectural marvel. The Imambara is a famed vaulted structure surrounded by beautiful gardens, which the Nawab started as a charitable project to generate employment during the famine of 1784. In that famine even the nobles were reduced to penury. It is said that Nawab Asaf employed over 20,000 people for the project (including commoners and noblemen), which was neither a masjid nor a mousoleum (contrary to the popular contemporary norms of buildings). The Nawab's sensitivity towards preserving the reputation of the upper class is demonstrated in the story of the construction of Imambara. During daytime, common citizens employed on the project would construct the building. On the night of every fourth day, the noble and upper class people were employed in secret to demolish the structure built, an effort for which they received payment. Thus their dignity was preserved.
The Nawab became so famous for his generosity that it is still a well-known saying in Lucknow that "he who does not receive (livelihood) from the Lord, will receive it from Asaf-ud-Dowlah" (Jisko de na Moula, usko de Asaf-ud-Dowlah).
The Imambara is three storeyed and it is said that there are 100 secret passages to enter and exit. A person going in could easily feel lost. Hence the name Bhool Bhulaiyan. The entry ticket here to get lost just costs Rs.10/-. There is a mosque to the left of the Imambara where the shitte muslims gather for muharram and on the right is the harem’s bathing room. Among all the building is Lucknow, it is still the grandest.
On returning to our rooms, most of us found it difficult to sleep with the sickening heat and the fragrance from the drainage canal next door. Added to this, the giant sized mosquitos were having their south Indian feast.
Day 4:
The next morning a maruti van and a Tata Sumo were organised to take us to Naimisharanya – the birth place of Lord Rama. This was about 75km from Lucknow. We checked out of the hotel and boarded the vehicles by 7am and were very pleased to see the other side of Lucknow city and only on seeing these clean areas were we convinced that we were travelling in the capital city of UP or rather of India once upon a time.
We passed by the Gomati River, and finally reached Naimisharanya. This is one of the most sacred places of pilgrimage in UP. As per the legends, Lord Brahma had himself indicated that in Kaliyug era, Naimisharanya would be the most sacred and holy place for meditation. It is because of its historic importance that peoples from all over India visit this holy place. Chakra tirth, Lalita Devi Temple, Panch Prayag, Vyas Gaddi, Soot Gaddi, Gaddi and Panch Pandav, are some of the most sacred places to visit in addition to Mishrit which is around 10 kms away from this place.
We started our darshan at the ‘Lalitha Devi’ temple. It is considered to be the chief temple at Naimisharanya. At this temple, while the idol of the devi is at the centre, to the left, housed in a small cave is a sri chakra and right below the cave is a shivalinga. It was heart rending to see young girls calling themselves ‘kanyas’, begging for their daily bread.
The next place of visit was the ‘Theertha chakra’. This place is the most vital place of visit at Naimisharanya. There are many legends that speak of the significance and glory of this place.
According to the ‘Shiva Purana’, it is believed that the rishis approached Lord Brahma and asked him the means by which Man could achieve mukti (salvation) and were adviced by the Lord to mediate in the name of Lord Shiva for a thousand years. The rishis further asked Lord Brahma for an ideal place to meditate to which Lord Brahma said that he would throw a chakra (disc) and the place where it lands on earth would be the ideal place. The very disc thrown by Lord Brahma and being followed by the rishis landed where sweet water was flowing admist a dense forest called Naimisharanya. This place is also believed to be free from vices and atrocities of the Kaliyug era even today.
The ‘Vishnu Purana’ states that long ago there was a demon called Durjay, who was very powerful with his evil deeds. Lord Vishnu, on request by his devotees, let go of his Sudarshan Chakra to demolish this powerful demon. This Chakra turned the demon into ashes – Nimish, as is called in Sanskrit and hence the name Naimisharanya. This place also claims importance because it was here that Lord Rama performed the ‘Ashwa – Medha Yagna’.
It is believed that the waters of the teertha chakra provides a good remedy to all diseases and a holy dip frees one from all evils and sins.
Adjacent to the Teertha chakra, lies the ‘Vyas Gaddi’. Here we have an idol of Jaimini rishi, student of Veda Vyasa. There is a big tree, under which Vyasa rishi is supposed to have written all the puranas, and split the Vedas into four (Rig, Sama, Yajur & Atharva), as we know them today. This tree is supposed to be over 5900 years old. From here a small path leads to the sacred Gomati (Gomukhi) river.
From there we proceeded to the ‘Hanuman Gaddi’. The idol here is a massive one showing Hanuman carrying Lord Rama on the right shoulder, Lakshmana on the left and standing on Iravata (divine elephant). This is the only idol of Hanuman facing south and hence also called as Dakshina Murthy.
Our last visit at Naimisharanya was the ‘Ahobila Mutt’. With the darshan and blessings of the deity Sri Lakshmi Narasimhan, we headed our way back to Lucknow to catch the overnight train to Gorakhpur.
It was 9 years ago that I visited this place. I was 16 then and had no inclinations to write travelogues, but today when I look back, I wish I had.
To the little I remember of the Annapurna Range....Here I go...
It was the scotching summer of 2000, and May being the holiday season for all we cousins, the elders of the family planned a trip to the north. It was once again a family trip, this time to a rare destination in Nepal stretching for a fortnight.
As per the agenda, it was decided that we first go to ‘Ayodhya – the birth place of Lord Rama’, from there to ‘Naimisharanya – the forest where Lord Rama wandered during his exile’ and then to ‘Pokhara’ in Nepal and further to ‘Muktinath’ , our final destination.
On the 17th of May 2000, as the evening was setting in, the epitome of excitement was rising higher as the 14 of us (the rest 5 join in later) gathered on the platform of the Bangalore Railway station.
The luggage was boarded in time and the train marched off. No sooner had the train started, began the session of snacking, mythological stories, card games, and the shunting between the deserted coaches. Two eventful days went by only to realise we were breaking journey in Lucknow instead of Gorakhpur which was originally where we had to get off.
Day 3:
Lucknow – the capital city of Uttar Pradesh and popularly known as the City of Nawabs was nowhere close to an impressive look for we first timers. The fiery heat added to the frustration and finally made our way to the Perfumed Palace – Our Hotel Shobha, situated on the main drainage canal of Lucknow. Our sightseeing began from our very own railing-less balcony of the pigs wallowing in the muck.
We then headed out to see the actual city of nawabs. Lucknow wore such a rural look that it was very difficult for us to believe that we were travelling in the capital city of Uttar Pradesh.
The pat-pattis (huge diesel run autos) came to a halt at the much unwanted ‘chickan palace’ – a showroom with lucknow chickan work. From here we proceeded to the ‘Great Imambara’ through the suffocating mandis – wholesale markets dealing with red chillies and jaggery.
The Imambara was built by Nawab Asaf-Ud-Dowlah during the 17th century. With the ambition to outshine the splendour of Mughal architecture, he built a number of monuments and developed the city of Lucknow into an architectural marvel. The Imambara is a famed vaulted structure surrounded by beautiful gardens, which the Nawab started as a charitable project to generate employment during the famine of 1784. In that famine even the nobles were reduced to penury. It is said that Nawab Asaf employed over 20,000 people for the project (including commoners and noblemen), which was neither a masjid nor a mousoleum (contrary to the popular contemporary norms of buildings). The Nawab's sensitivity towards preserving the reputation of the upper class is demonstrated in the story of the construction of Imambara. During daytime, common citizens employed on the project would construct the building. On the night of every fourth day, the noble and upper class people were employed in secret to demolish the structure built, an effort for which they received payment. Thus their dignity was preserved.
The Nawab became so famous for his generosity that it is still a well-known saying in Lucknow that "he who does not receive (livelihood) from the Lord, will receive it from Asaf-ud-Dowlah" (Jisko de na Moula, usko de Asaf-ud-Dowlah).The Imambara is three storeyed and it is said that there are 100 secret passages to enter and exit. A person going in could easily feel lost. Hence the name Bhool Bhulaiyan. The entry ticket here to get lost just costs Rs.10/-. There is a mosque to the left of the Imambara where the shitte muslims gather for muharram and on the right is the harem’s bathing room. Among all the building is Lucknow, it is still the grandest.
On returning to our rooms, most of us found it difficult to sleep with the sickening heat and the fragrance from the drainage canal next door. Added to this, the giant sized mosquitos were having their south Indian feast.
Day 4:
The next morning a maruti van and a Tata Sumo were organised to take us to Naimisharanya – the birth place of Lord Rama. This was about 75km from Lucknow. We checked out of the hotel and boarded the vehicles by 7am and were very pleased to see the other side of Lucknow city and only on seeing these clean areas were we convinced that we were travelling in the capital city of UP or rather of India once upon a time.
We passed by the Gomati River, and finally reached Naimisharanya. This is one of the most sacred places of pilgrimage in UP. As per the legends, Lord Brahma had himself indicated that in Kaliyug era, Naimisharanya would be the most sacred and holy place for meditation. It is because of its historic importance that peoples from all over India visit this holy place. Chakra tirth, Lalita Devi Temple, Panch Prayag, Vyas Gaddi, Soot Gaddi, Gaddi and Panch Pandav, are some of the most sacred places to visit in addition to Mishrit which is around 10 kms away from this place.
We started our darshan at the ‘Lalitha Devi’ temple. It is considered to be the chief temple at Naimisharanya. At this temple, while the idol of the devi is at the centre, to the left, housed in a small cave is a sri chakra and right below the cave is a shivalinga. It was heart rending to see young girls calling themselves ‘kanyas’, begging for their daily bread.
The next place of visit was the ‘Theertha chakra’. This place is the most vital place of visit at Naimisharanya. There are many legends that speak of the significance and glory of this place.
According to the ‘Shiva Purana’, it is believed that the rishis approached Lord Brahma and asked him the means by which Man could achieve mukti (salvation) and were adviced by the Lord to mediate in the name of Lord Shiva for a thousand years. The rishis further asked Lord Brahma for an ideal place to meditate to which Lord Brahma said that he would throw a chakra (disc) and the place where it lands on earth would be the ideal place. The very disc thrown by Lord Brahma and being followed by the rishis landed where sweet water was flowing admist a dense forest called Naimisharanya. This place is also believed to be free from vices and atrocities of the Kaliyug era even today.The ‘Vishnu Purana’ states that long ago there was a demon called Durjay, who was very powerful with his evil deeds. Lord Vishnu, on request by his devotees, let go of his Sudarshan Chakra to demolish this powerful demon. This Chakra turned the demon into ashes – Nimish, as is called in Sanskrit and hence the name Naimisharanya. This place also claims importance because it was here that Lord Rama performed the ‘Ashwa – Medha Yagna’.
It is believed that the waters of the teertha chakra provides a good remedy to all diseases and a holy dip frees one from all evils and sins.
Adjacent to the Teertha chakra, lies the ‘Vyas Gaddi’. Here we have an idol of Jaimini rishi, student of Veda Vyasa. There is a big tree, under which Vyasa rishi is supposed to have written all the puranas, and split the Vedas into four (Rig, Sama, Yajur & Atharva), as we know them today. This tree is supposed to be over 5900 years old. From here a small path leads to the sacred Gomati (Gomukhi) river.
From there we proceeded to the ‘Hanuman Gaddi’. The idol here is a massive one showing Hanuman carrying Lord Rama on the right shoulder, Lakshmana on the left and standing on Iravata (divine elephant). This is the only idol of Hanuman facing south and hence also called as Dakshina Murthy.
Our last visit at Naimisharanya was the ‘Ahobila Mutt’. With the darshan and blessings of the deity Sri Lakshmi Narasimhan, we headed our way back to Lucknow to catch the overnight train to Gorakhpur.
......to be continued
very helpful, hoping we may be able to visit Naimisharanyam.........Natarajan
ReplyDeleteGood consolidation. I wish I read this article before we visited Naimisha.
ReplyDeleteWe just returned from Naimisha. There are loads of accommodations available there. For the past 3 years, lots of constructions have happened and most of them at at the price range from Rs. 250/- to Rs 350/- per day per room (this is as of October, 2012).
One of the best places that I liked, in terms of cleanliness and facilities is accommodation by Sai Mandir. This is walking distance to Gomati river and Balaji Temple. The cost as of Oct, 2012 is Rs.250/- per day per room which includes free food.
You can book in advance by talking to Mataji @ Sai Temple:
05865 251500
09005719162
Or you can also talk to Sri Ramesh ji who is in charge of the temple and facilities: 09573268434. He keeps travelling, so you might not meet him at Naimisha, but he will be able to provide all required details.
Enjoy your visit.