Spending a weekend at Udayagiri
Our modern day life is so full of activities that some time we need to take a break from all this, otherwise this immense pressure of daily life will suck the life force out of our body. To avoid this we need to take breaks from our day to day life and need to re energize our body and mind for the life ahead. Traveling to some place gives us the opportunity to enjoy life. But everyone has his/her own motive for traveling; some travel for pleasure, relaxation, some for research, some for pilgrimage.
But in our busy schedule it’s difficult to make long holiday plans all the time, that’s why now people often think about the short holidays like traveling to a nearby destination during the weekends. Udayagiri is just like one of the above mentioned places. “Udaya” means rising and “giri” means rock or hill so Udayagiri means “Hill of sunrise”. Near 6k.m West in the district of Jajpur of Bhubaneswar in Orissa, the caves of Udayagiri are one of the earliest groups of Jain rock-cut shelters and are known worldwide. Udayagiri also has a unique place in history,for rock-cut architecture, art and religion.
It’s a hill, which consist of 18 caves, the largest and the most beautiful, Rani Gumpha, caves like Chota Hathi Gumpha, Jaya Vijaya Gumpha, Ganesh Gumpha, and many more and all these caves are very important historically. The city was the capital of Langula Gajapati, who was the chief of the Gajapatis of Orissa. In the year 1512, the town came under the rule of Krishna Deva Raya, the ruler of the Vijayanagar dynasty. During his reign the entire city was fortified with walls all around.
Coming down a flight of steps in front of Cave 17 of Udayagiri people will find another hill with caves named “Khandagiri” meaning “broken hills”. It has 15 caves and the most popular of them all is Ananta cave which depicts, carved figures of women, athletes, geese carrying flowers and, elephants. Khandagiri offers a splendid view of the Bhuvaneswar city. Traveling in Udayagiri is very easy as it has many ways of transportation,you have bus, auto, and state govt transportation along with private cars to enjoy each and every place, and its calmness attracts many people. So no doubt it is a great place to visit during weekends.
Rajasthan-A completely unique and exciting tourist destination
Rajasthan, the largest state in the Western part of India with its 342,236 km sq k.m area is not only just a state but it’s one of the oldest and one of the most beautiful states of India with its heritage, rich culture,safaris,sand dunes, forests and it’s unforgettable history. “Rajasthan” this very word means “a land of kingdoms” and Rajasthan was actually the land of kingdoms like Raj put’s, Yadav’s, Gujar’s, Meena’s. So Rajasthan witnessed many wars in history between these tribes and also between Raj puts and Mughals.
But wars, ranas, and soldiers these are just one part of Rajasthan’s soul there is another part of it, which is full of culture, social bonding, natural beauty, art and craft, pride. We all know that Rajasthan is famous for its craftsmanship and Rajasthan’s forts prove it beautifully. In each fort there is a fine blending of many cultures. They are truly a treat to watch. Amer fort, Chittorgarh, Junagarh fort, Mehrangarh fort, the Hawa Mahel of Jaipur all these create a wonderful experience for us.
The wild life of Rajasthan also attracts us. In Rajasthan there are four national parks and wildlife sanctuaries, in Bharatpur there is Keoladeo National Park, in Alwar the Sariska Tiger Reserve, Ranthambore National Park of Sawai Madhopur, and the Desert National Park of Jaisalmer.Riding on camels is another exciting experience which attracts visitors.
In the genre of music and dance, Rajasthan’s folk dance like, The Ghoomar dance of Udaipur and Kalbeliya dance of Jaisalmer are internationally recognized and Rajasthan’s folk music like Kathputlinach, Teratali, Bhopa, Kachchhighori, Tejaji are also the unavoidable part of traditional Rajasthani culture..Rajsthani folk songs are commonly ballads, related to heroic deeds and love stories; and religious songs are also sung.
Rajasthan’s food is also the centre of attraction for the tourists as they are delicious. Food items like Ghevar, Gatte ka pulao, papad sabji are the specialty of Rajasthani kitchen .People from all around the world come to Rajasthan and taste this sumptuous foods . The Rajasthani handmade vases, wooden horses, jhoomers are also very famous. At last we can say, though it’s a place in the heart of desert, sand, and dryness but the hospitality and the warmth of heart of Rajasthani people has made it irresistible Rajasthan.
The Sun Temple-Konark
The huge stone chariot of the Sun god is standing magnificently. Below down people are looking up in awe. Some are walking slowly around this stone temple taking in the grandeur; most of them are listening to the history behind this creation; fascinating tales of a bygone era are being narrated by a guide. Few are busy capturing the stone sculptures in their camera. Now you have probably guessed it right; yes this is Sun Temple Konarak we are talking about. This grand temple was built in thirteenth century. This is one of the prime tourist attractions of Orissa. This temple has been beautifully carved out of stone. Many beautiful statues were created on the walls of this temple. Still people simply can not take their eyes off the carvings. This temple still reminds us of the architectural skills of people who lived on this land some seven hundred years ago. They simply were gifted architects who came up with a beautiful creation like this. This chariot has twelve pairs of wheels. This chariot also has seven huge horses who are dragging this. Just stop in front of any of these sculptures and try to imagine how those craftsmen carved these statues without any advanced tools. It took them a long time to carve them but the carvings had been done to perfection. Some dedication along with some passion for art they had. Many people come to Orissa to visit this architectural wonder. So if you have not visited it yet, come and visit it and stand in awe in front of the creation.