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Archive for the ‘States of East India’ Category

Bodhgaya is one of the most important and sacred Buddhist pilgrimage center in the world. It was here under a banyan tree, the Bodhi Tree, Gautama attained supreme knowledge to become Buddha,the Enlightened One. Born; in the foothills of the Himalayas as a Sakya prince of Kapilvastu (now in Nepal), most of the major events of his life, like enlightenment and last sermon, happened in Bihar. Buddhism as a religion was really born in Bihar and evolved here through his preaching and the example of his lifestyle of great simplicity, renunciation and
empathy for everything living.

Bodh Gaya is a place which should be visited or seen by a person of devotion and which would cause awareness of the nature of impermanence.

Since 1953, Bodh Gaya has been developed as an international place of pilgrimage. Buddhists from Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma, Tibet, Bhutan and Japan have established monasteries and temples within easy walking distance of the Mahabodhi compound. The site of the enlightenment now attracts Buddhists and tourists from all over the world. At any time during the cooler months between December and March, a visitor to Bodh Gaya can observe a continual stream of
Indian and international pilgrims walking the roads or arriving in buses, circumambulating the temple, performing prostrations and offering prayers in a multitude of languages. For those who aspire to awaken their full potential, Bodh Gaya today is truly a field vibrant with the potentiality of enlightenment. Enriched by devotion of Buddhists of all traditions, this holy site is emerging
as a powerful inspiration to the modern world, awakening people of all nations to the real possibility of enlightenment.
 

Takht Sri Harmandir Sahib is one of the famous Gurdwaras in Bihar located in Patna. Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru of the Sikhs, was born in 1660 in Patna. The Har Mandir Takht, one of the four sacred shrines of the Sikhs, stands at this holy site. The original temple was built by Maharaja Ranjit Singh, and contains belongings of the Guru and Sikh holy texts.

This Gurdwara, one of the holiest of five Takhts, attracts thousands of Sikh devotees. This Gurdwara is popularly called Haveli of Salis Rai John. It was once the residence of a great devotee of Guru Nanak. The Gurdwara was sanctified with the presence of Guru Tegh Bahadur . This shrine houses some holy relics of the tenth Sikh Guru including a Pangura (cradle) where the Guru used to sleep during his childhood. Apart from this, a pair of sandals, four iron arrows and a sacred sword are kept here.

There is a spacious congregation hall adjacent to the sanctorum where Guru Gobind Singh was born. The door of the inner sanctum is adorned with floral designs and copper plates. The Holy Guru Granth Sahib is kept on the central canopied seat.

Patna is one of the oldest inhabited places in the world and present day Patna is located on the southern bank of the Ganges. Patna is the capital city of the state of Bihar and was formerly known as Pataliputra, which was the capital of the Mauryan Empire. The name Patna is said to have been derived from Patan which happens to be the name of a Hindu Goddess Patan devi. Patna is now a renowned name in the tourism industry and is an important place of tourist
interest housing lots of attractions that reflect its glorious past.

Patna’s most remarkable Mahatma Gandhi Setu is built upon the Ganges, which is one of the longest bridges in the world at 7.5 Km ,crosses the Ganges 5 Km west of the city centre. Patna is pretty densely populated. Patna’s most significant monument is the Gol-Ghar which is a huge grain storage and was built in 1786 by John Garstin at the behest of the then administrator, Warren Hastings, in the hope of avoiding the repetition of the terrible famine in 1770 .March of the every year is very special to Patna due to the Patliputra Mahotsava which makes Patna very live and people enjoys a lot.

Parades ,sports ,dancing ,music programmes are arranged at this time. The best time to visit Patna is between October to March. The climatic conditions during these months are comfortable enough to visit the place .The temperature varies between 17 to 28 degrees approximately. But in the starting of October it may be lower.So it is suggested to carry warm garments in the months from October to January.

Patna may not be one of most sought after states of India, but the cricket stadium there is quite a spectacle. It holds 25,000 spectators and it hosted the first ODI between Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka on November 15, 1993. Established in 1969-70 it was formerly known as Moinul Haque Stadium. The “Moin-ul-Haque” cricket stadium is located in the eastern part of Bihar.  The greenery of the stadium along with its huge size, enhances and energizes the sportsman spirit of the cricket players. The cricket ground of Patna has an excellent pitch for playing. The stadium is equipped with all the modern amenities that makes the Moin-ul-Haque stadium one of the best of its kind in the world.

This part of Bihar has produced many cricket stars, which has prompted the Government of the state and the regional cricket association to build a stadium that would further boast the budding cricketers. The Moin-ul-Haque stadium has a “Turf” pitch that follows the international standard. The cricket ground has a well maintained “Dressing Room” for the players that allows them to take proper physical and mental rest before any important match. The dressing rooms of the players are equipped with proper gymnasiums, beds to take rest, and well maintained toilets. The cricket ground also has “Pavilion” or “Club House” where the players can watch the match along with important dignatories and few eminent personalities. The stadium also has an excellent sitting arrangement for the cricket lovers.

Indian Museum in Kolkata is the largest museum in India. It is the ninth oldest regular museum of the world and oldest institution of its kind in Asia Pacific region. Indian Museum is a multipurpose and multi disciplinary institution of national importance. The museum was established at the Asiatic Society, the earliest learned body in the country on 2nd February 1814. Dr. Nathaniel Wallich, a Danish botanist, was the founder curator of the museum.
Indian Museum was transferred to the present building in 1878 with two galleries. Today, the museum has over sixty galleries of Art, Archaeology, Anthropology, Geology, Zoology and Botany sections, spreading over ten thousand square feet area. Many rare specimens of both Indian and Trans-Indian origin relating to Humanities and Natural Science are preserved and displayed in
museum.

Spread on the Ist and II floor, the Art collection of the Indian Museum comprises of miniature paintings, textiles, decorative art objects from Asian countries — China, Japan, Nepal, Tibet, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Java and Kampuchea. Muslin and Jamdani from Dhaka, Baluchari textile of Murshidabad, Phulkari of Punjab, Chamba rumal, Persian carpets, Kanthas of Bengal, ritual robes, wood carving, metal images, ivory, lacquerware, bronze, ornaments; Persian, Mughal, Rajasthani, Pahari, Deccani miniature paintings, manuscript illustrations of Western and Eastern India, Bengal school paintings, Nepalese and Tibetan temple banners.

The South East Asian gallery in the Art section has three separate galleries for artifacts from China-Japan, Burma and Nepal-Tibet. In the gallery of the China-Japan, there are coloured porcelains, wine cups, ivory and rhinoceros horn carved articles, paintings etc.
 

The National Library in Kolkata is the largest library in India. It is an institution of National importance under the Department of Culture, Ministry of Tourism & Culture, Government of India. National Library is situated on a scenic 30 acres Belvedere Estate, in Kolkata. The library is designated to collect, disseminate and preserve the printed material produced in the country.

The origins of the National Library can be traced back to 1836 when the Calcutta Public Library was established. The then Governor General, Lord Metcalf transferred 4,675 volumes from the library of the College of Fort William to the Calcutta Public Library. In 1891, the Imperial Library was formed by combining a number of Secretariat libraries. Lord Curzon, the then Governor General of India, conceived the idea of opening a library for the use of the public. He amalgamated Calcutta Public Library with the Imperial Library. The library was formally opened to the public on 30th January 1903 at Metcalf Hall, Kolkata. After independence, the library was renamed as the National Library.

Established in 1875, and spread over nearly 100 acres in the heart of Kolkata are the Zoological Gardens. Inaugurated by the Prince of Wales in 1876, it is one of the oldest and the largest Zoos of India.

During the winter season, the migratory birds flock in the zoo for its artificial lake and vegetation. But in recent times the birds do not flock so much as the yester years due to ecological imbalances.

The zoo displays a large number of crowd-pulling megafauna, including the Royal Bengal Tiger, African Lion, Jaguar, Hippopotamus, Great Indian One-horned Rhinoceros, Reticulated Giraffe, Grant’s Zebra, Emu, Dromedary Camel and Indian
Elephant. Previously, other megafauna like the Panthera hybrids and the Giant Eland were present.

The zoo sported a large collection of attractive birds, including some threatened species up until the 1980s – large parrots including a number of Macaw species, Conures, lories and lorikeets; other large birds like Touracos and Hornbills; colourful game birds like the Golden Pheasant, Lady Amherst’s Pheasant and Swinhoe’s Pheasant and some large flightless birds like the Emu, Cassowary and Ostrich. However, lack of pairing and exchange programs have caused a significant decline in the populations, causing some of the populations to die out.

‘SOUTH CITY’ is a mixed use development on 31.14 acres of land in South Kolkata having 4 Residential towers comprising of 1600 flats, Club, School and more than a million sq.ft. Shopping Mall, all planned of international standard. It is the biggest retail development in Eastern India located at 375, Prince Anwar Shah Road, Kolkata – just opposite Jodhpur Park, a posh residential area and close to Gariahat, the main shopping hub of South Kolkata.

The Mall will be surrounded by customers with the perfect demography from a retail point of view, whether in terms of disposable income, a modern mindset or an ambitious lifestyle. It is surrounded by new upcoming housing projects Merlin manor, Merlin Residency, City High, Orbit Heights, Westwind, Hiland Park, Udayan, Bengal Shrachi, Orbit City, Sugam Park, Ekta Heights– all residential complexes housing the upwardly mobile, who want to make a lifestyle statement. The residential complex within South City will house 1600 families. So the footfalls are assured.

Designed after exhaustive research of the best shopping malls around the world, great attention has been placed on details. The stores inside South City Mall are synergistically placed and promise to change the way people perceive shopping and entertainment in Kolkata. We have already booked space for anchor stores such as Pantaloons, Shopper’s Stop, Giant, Fame Cinemas and some of the other known brands that will be present in South City Mall are annexed here with: The fabulous façade, the colossal multilevel car park for 1400 cars, the exceptional landscaping, the larger floor plate ensuring larger footfall, and shops arranged in consumer friendly clusters, and all this with fine dining options and a fabulous food-court, ensures a shoppers’ paradise.

Kolkata has the highest credit/deposit ratio in the country and is the third largest retail market in India. Not surprisingly one in every ten of India’s richest consumers resides in West Bengal. With easy accessibility by the Lake Gardens flyover to Southern Avenue and its proximity to EM Bye-Pass through the Jadavpur Connector, the retail hub of South Kolkata is ready for a paradigm shift to the South City Mall.