Saint John in the Wilderness and the magic of Mcleodganj

  When the itinerary for the Himachal was planned ,this place had somehow escaped our notice.Saint John in the Wilderness ,the name suggests nothing about the place ..a treasure hidden in the midst of the deodars of the hilly slopes of Mcleodganj.It was only when we set out for Mcleodganj from Dharmashala that our driver insisted that we visit this church. Church...something I was never much interested in..I had visited many in Goa ,Kerala and even in Mysore.At first sight that was just another deodar forest but slowly disclosed this breathtakingly beautiful sight.

  Built by the British about 2 centuries ago ,this church had survived the earthquake of 1905.The earthquake destroyed the bell tower of the church .In 1925 a new bell was brought from England ,but the bell being too heavy could not be installed in place ,so it lay in the church premises,but soon in a few years time attempts of theft were made for this bell ,consequently this is how the bell can be seen today in the churchyard.
We visited the church in a Sunday ,and saw the Father holding the morning prayers ,the church is very much in use till today

James Bruce the erstwhile viceroy of India was buried at this very place.where the grave memorial now stands in the churchyard..The mortal remains of the.lieutenant general of Punjab Donald Friell McLeod after whom Mcleodganj was named was also laid to rest in this churchyard.

early morning rays in the churchyard

We had already made a fine start to the day with an early morning visit to the church,and now proceeded on the journey uphill ...a quaint small place ,Mcleodganj awaited us a little up the slopes. 

If I were to describe my first glimpse of this place, I would say it was  a rather crowded place,something I have always tried avoiding ,but slowly as I walked down the lanes of this place ,my perception about this place changed as I soaked up the ambience of the place .In my entire trip of the state it was one of the very few places where I came very close with the local people and saw them busy in their daily routine  .For once I felt that not many things were designed only for tourists like us ,rather they let us blend into the environment,as life moved at its own pace .

I can recall my first glimpses of children going to school , narrow lanes lined with shops selling every possible ware , fair skinned foreigners strolling  leisurely around  cafes which served Italian pizza or lasagna and Tibetian thukpa or  momos with equal ease.

I had visited the church ,and the Bhagsu Nag temple (a shiva temple)a little downhill and now I was about to visit the monastery for which Mcleodganj is so renowned....as we all know this was the seat of the Tibetian government in exile and the residence of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Amidst all this chaos and confusion which by now I had started enjoying, had I missed out on something ,I guess yes, I know ,I had not noticed that the place which was called little Lhasa was actually a melting pot of different cultures and religions from far and wide.

The monastery casts its divine spell on one as one makes the rounds of the different halls with towering statues of the Buddha (photography is prohibited inside the monastery,so could not get pictures).A few words of enlightenment did penetrate our minds if not but for a few moments.As I turned the prayer wheels inside the monastery a lady of Tibetian origin  walked up to me and told me a few words...Om Mani Padme Hum...These were the words I should have uttered while turning the prayer wheels.When she saw me fumbling with the words she made it simpler saying "Just say Jai Shri Krishna ,you see it is all the same"......insightful words from plain mortals ..an experience  that shall remain etched in my memory forever.

This was a home to the monks who walked past every now and then in their maroon robes,they always seemed to be deep in conversation with their companion.

A place where prayer wheels and stupas could be seen even in the market place,and a place where prayer flags were put up to bring luck ,happiness ,compassion,prosperity,longevity and even to bless the surrounding countryside ,brightening up the green landscape in red and yellow splashes.

It was a place with never ending lanes of shops selling statues of Buddha ,Ganesha and Natraja

and the everlasting bounty of nature which rendered the atmosphere so sublime......

            

what then could stop the magic of Mcleodganj linger in my mind for quite sometime.

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Mcleodganj is located at a distance of & 7 kms.from Dharmashala in the state of Himachal Pradesh .A quaint little hillstation situated little uphill from Dharamashala,Mcleodganj can be reached by car ,in an hours time.The nearest airport is at Dharmashala. The Dal Lake of Dharmashala and the Church Of Saint John  can be visited on the way to Mcleodganj. The Bhagsu Nag temple and the Bhagsu Falls are the major tourist options from here. Mcleodganj has many mid and high range stay options .One need not drive back to Dharmashala the same day ,instead can spend one night here.The food as said above, varies from Tibetian to French. Situated only 10 kms from Triund , Mcleodganj is also a trekkers paradise. Sorrounded by the snow capped  Dhauladhar ranges, Mcleodganj presents a very unique character that can be comprehended only when experienced.

Kangra fort ---history in the lap of nature

        Built by Raja Bhuma Chand of the Katoch dynasty,ransacked by Mahmud Ghazni,conquered by Mohammad Bin Tuglaq,garrisoned by Jahangir, reconquered by Raja Sansar Chand the second,attacked by Akbar the great, usurped by the Gorkhas ,annexed by the Sikhs ,and finally overpowered by the British; need I say more about the significance of this place.!!!!!!!
    So this is a fort in a place called Kangra about 17 kms from Dharmashala in Himachal Pradesh.It was once the capital of the Katoch rulers and a part of the ancient Trigartha kingdom.The ancient Trigartha kingdom finds mention in the epic of Mahabharata and was spread  over Kashmir,Himachal Pradesh, Multan ,Punjab and even Uttar Pradesh. 

The view of the fort from the well manicured lawns at the entrance of the fort

The fort was built in an elevated piece of land covering an area of nearly 4 square kilometres.

The picture above shows the Jayanti Mata temple ,a temple built by the Gorkhas after their victory over the fort.

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another view of the temple from the fort premises

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The main entrance to the fort also known as the Ranjit Singh darwaza.The fort has several gates each one attributed to the invaders who held the fort .Interestingly, the gates were built in succession, the outermost one ,that is the one in the picture was built by the Sikhs.Another prominent gate which comes next as one enters the fort is the Jahangiri gate ,named after the Mogul emperor who captured the fort a few centuries before the Sikhs. The innermost gate which leads us to the palace area is the Darshini gate ,is the oldest gate in the fort
     .Does this imply that as more and more invaders eyed the fort ,the ones who were successful felt the need of fortifying themselves even more.Why was the fort such a coveted one ?This was the question that kept bothering me.Was it only the strategic location of the fort that made it so important,that the rulers wanted to use this place as a bastion for their future territorial ambitions.?       
There used to be a common saying in Kangra that he who holds the fort rules over Kangra .I guess then it was perhaps the territory of Kangra which held a significant place in history.


    A few more minutes of pondering ,and I know the answer----,it was the sheer magic of the place ,with an abundant greenery ,and the overshadowing snowcapped peaks of the Dhauladhar ranges that awed the rulers as much as we are awed now. Happy with my conclusion I continued my journey into the annals of history.......

A moment of pause for a photograph at the Jahangiri gate.

Ever wondered why the forts had such  narrow gates?Was it easier to keep the invaders at bay from inside the fort.

A view of the many darwazas inside the fort and one of the two dogs that gave us company till the top .

 

The  Darshini gate flanked by the defaced statue of the river goddesses Ganga and Yamuna,needless to say it was built by the Hindu rulers of the fort.

And at last, we are at the top...through the Darshini gate ,to the place where once existed the temples the palaces and the courtyards,most of which are in ruins now.The Kangra fort suffered huge damages in a massive earthquake in 1905.

The first view of the place after we entered the Darshini gate

The dome shaped temple...the Adinath jain temple, which can be seen at the corner is the only one still in worship.This temple was the only one which survived the earthquake.

The walls of the Sitalamata temple and the Lakshmi Narayan temple,only  one wall and the platform on which the temple was built remains now.The intricate carvings on the walls gives us an indication of the grandeur of these temples

The walls of the Sitalamata and  Lakshmi Narayan temple

Do you notice the courtyard on the other side of the walls..the temple doors opened to this courtyard..probably used for public gatherings inside the fort.Nothing remains of the palace except for a raised platform.

The fort is located on a hillock at the confluence of the rivers ..the Banganga and the Patalganga..the confluence though could not be spotted from the fort.The rivers formed a natural moat around the fort.

 A view of the fort gates from atop the fort,the elevated level of the fort allowed the guards to keep constant vigil on all directions .

                  One of the many arcades and walls of the fort which stand tall even in the ruins,bearing testimony to the battles fought in this very place.
         So this was a place which  witnessed many invasions one after the other,a silent onlooker of  greed and an insane craze for power which we humans term as glory and which leaves a subtle message to linger in our minds long after........

How to reach and where to stay
The airport at Kangra is known as the Gaggal airport, about 10 kms from Kangra town.Kangra is well connected by rail to Pathankot about 94 kms from here.
The nearest place for boarding and lodging is Dharmashala ,17 kms from here,where options are in plenty ,including HPTDC hotels which can be booked online.
One can visit the Kangra fort as a one day trip from Dharmashala coupled with a visit to the ancient Masroor temple which is only 20 kms from here.

Bangara Tirupati temple

    This was  a place which had  never  bragged about  its mythology,  a story which dated back to the times of Bhrigu rishi ,who was one of the seven sages created by Bramha  .A little more about Bhrigu rishi......he was a contemporary of Manu ,(according to hindu belief ,Manu was the father of mankind) and is believed to have penned the Bhrigu Samhita  (a classic on astrology).Apart from a few more temples spread all over India ,which are dedicated to the sage ,the Bangara Tirupati temple is another such temple which bears a mythological connection with the sage.
         The story goes like this ..that Bhrigu rishi was once into deep meditation  at this place when Lord Vishnu is believed to have blessed him through   the six openings in the window of the temple ,the openings which symbolise the six human behaviours of kama krodha ,moha,  matsara and mada .So till this day devotees who visit this place seek blessings of the lord through the six openings in the temple window,signifying that when they come to the Lord, they leave behind all the worldly behaviours. For those who know nothing of this story,the temple is just another abode of Lord Venkateshwara,nestled on a hilltop in the Kolar district of Karnataka ...and this in no way lessens their adoration for the place .

                         The roads reaching this place were surely very lonely-which made me think once that the temple will be a desolated one.There was hardly a soul to ask directions to this temple,but when I reached there I was proved wrong.Perhaps it was the popularity of the temple that people from far off places had collected here.

These are the pictures of the entrance of the temple i.e the main gopuram.

There were plenty of shops at the entrance of the temple.Enough parking space and  wash rooms were also provided

The pushkarni as you enter the gopuram...we were not fortunate enough to get water in it which makes it more aesthetically appealing .The temple has been designed in close resemblance to the Venkateshwara temple in Tirupati.

This is the view of the gopuram from the temple end

A

 Few more steps and we are at the shrine of Lord Venkateshwara where the lord can be seen through a small window in the shrine.

A beautiful view of the temple complex can be seen from the top

The way down from the temple and the astrologers who kept my daughters amused

A very picturesque flight of stairs go up to the goddess Padmavati temple.This is in a direction opposite to the main sanctum.The picture below shows the same.

A lady selling knick knacks in the temple compound

The Bangara Tirupati temple is a peaceful place easily accessible from Bangalore. It is located in the village named Guttahalli in the Kolar district of Karnataka.If you are still wondering from where this place has derived its name....bangar in the local language means gold ...the place being in Kolar ,which was known for its gold mines..A spiritual retreat about 100 kilometres from Bangalore along the Old Madras road and can be coupled with a visit to the Kotilingeshwara temple about 7 kilometres from here.If you are visiting this place ,do carry your own food as there are no eateries as such along the way.
     This was a place little heard of, a journey that was never planned and yet a weekend that did not fail to please us to the brim



Temples of the Himachal

Dipped in mythology that our country India is,there is scarcely a place here which is devoid of temples ,and The Himachals is no exception....... temples and temples every where  and they are all painted in bright hues,which stand out in the middle of nowhere.Seeing how well maintained each one of them was ,it is but obvious that the Himachalis loved their temples.In my recent visit to the state,temples formed a substantial part of our tour .This account will share some of the very noteworthy ones.

The Jakhu temple near Shimla  located on the Jakhu hills

Related stories- The Magic of Mcleodganj.
                         Kangra Fort-History in the lap of nature


a shaded area in the temple compound

The Jakhu hills are the highest peak in Shimla .The temple was too crowded to take a good capture ,so I had to be content with this.The temple can be accessed on foot from the ridge ,that is the mall end or one can hire a car and take the main road.Time being a constraint we had to go for the second option.

the statue of hanuman which is actually visible from the mall

If you are wondering why the temple has such a huge statue of lord Hanuman...this is a temple dedicated to Lord Hanuman.It is believed that this is the place where Hanuman,while carrying the mountain which had the sanjeevini buti had rested for a short duration...the temple houses the foot prints of LordHanuman

Whatever the story might say ,this place definitely belonged to our simian cohabitants,who could be seen all over the place.I had to leave my DSLR in the car fearing the same reason.Nonetheless a temple worth visiting.

I did not know that they could pose so well for the camera

a small temple on our way to Chail

heres another on the way to Masobra

These are some of them about whom I know nothing of ..no sign of any priest or any worshipper...just an idol in the middle of nature...Is that why I found them so interesting?






This one was on the way to Rohtang

The little known Gayatri Temple in old Manali was another which caught my fancy.This is located in the small village near Manali named Jagatsukh

this is a temple few hundred years old...a structure in wood and stone 

But what I found more interesting was this small little village school ,singing the National Anthem in perfect discipline right behind the temple

yet again. another........



The Ram Laxman temple in the village of Naggar near Manali





a  closer view of the same



Basisth Temple, Manali

      The above picture is of Vasisth temple in old Manali ,this is among the few most popular

 temples of Manali.Rishi Vasisth is worshipped here as the main idol.Legend has it that Laksmana of Ramayana had come here to visit rishi Vasisth ,when he saw the sage going for a bath in the chill waters of the river.On seeing this Laksmana shot an arrow in the ground for him ,and out came hot water springs.  These springs can be seen flowing even till today all over the place.Taking bath in this water believed to have medicinal values is a common practise here.The temple area has separate bathing areas for men and women.



        The picture above is that of the famous Hidimba Devi temple.This temple finds itself in a prideful place in the list of temples in the Himachal by its own right.Situated in a very picturesque location amidst deodar trees ,it does not fall behind when it comes .to  mythology too.Named after the demoness goddess Hidimba who  married Bhima after the latter escaped from the wax house ,this temple bears the shape of a conical pagoda.This place definitely has a old world charm to it .It is so said that Hidimba gives birth to Bhimas son Ghatotkacha ,but when Bhima returns from the hills to his family, the princess renounces her kingdom in the hands of her son Ghatotkacha and starts meditating in this very place,which now bears a carved footprint of Hidimba.It was only in the 16 th century that king Bahadur Singh built this beautiful temple at the same spot.

A yak ride  at the temple gates



the furry angora rabbit which formed the fondest memories for my children

a lady waiting for customers with her angora rabbit

This place is a stones throw from the Manali mall road .I could not stop clicking once I entered the temple gates,though my children found the yak ride and the angora rabbit most interesting

A view of the deodar forest around the temple campus

VIEW OF THE TEMPLE FROM THE GATE END

 We visited Hidimba temple  in our second day at Manali.Our driver insisted that we visit the Hanogi Mata temple after this but we were drained by this time and decided to call it a day

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From Manali we headed towards Dharmashala,which is in the Kangra district of the Himachal.On the way to Dharmashala we visited the Baijnath temple

An inscription in one of the stone slabs tell that this temple was built in the ninth century by two local merchants.This temple is built in the shikara style which is not very common in this part of the country.We reached this place in the afternoon,the place was beautiful with well manicured lawn,but with the sun shining bright right above us we ended our visit in haste.

Dharmashala , a quaint place with the snow capped Dhauladhar constantly watching over us,was awaiting us with the Kunal Pathri temple.We visited this place early in the morning,as this was our first point in our tour around Dharmashala.

I would say that the Kunal pathri temple  is a must visit place and considering our time of visit,we were the only people there,which made it even more pleasing for us.This place is located in  a beautiful cliff a few kilometres from Dharmashala.This place is consecrated to goddess Kapaleshwari and is considered by some as a Shakti peeth.I personally feel it is not so because this temple is not listed among the 52 Shakti peeths in the subcontinent...the only one Shakti peeth in the Himachal  being the Jwalaji  temple .

The deity inside the temple

The word kunal in the local language means the shallow vessel in which flour is kneaded,and pathri of course means a stone,  and this is how the place derives its name.The shallow stone above the deity as can be seen in the picture is believed to collect water all the year round through an opening in the roof .This water strikingly can be found fresh always by divine blessing.

The Bhagsunath temple 

From Dharmashala ,on our way up to Mcleodganj,we visited the Bhagsunath temple,a shiva temple ,the famous Bhagsu waterfall is a few metres walk from here.This temple is a medieval

one.The first Gurkha rifles on the Gurkha light infantry was moved to Dharmashala in 1860. It is then that Bhagsunath their kul devta  was established  here and  the temple was patronised by the Gurkhas. I found this to be an unique one with lots of pools around, though I could not figure out the reason behind them.

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The above are all pictures of pools around the temple

    I am not a religious type of person and visiting a temple would always be the last thing in my mind, but that was till I went for my tour in the Himachals.The picturesque locations of most of the temples in the Himachals so  enticed me that I ended up craving for more.The Bijli Mahadev temple ,the Hanogi Mata temple ,The Jwalaji temple and few more which could not be visited ,remain in my wish list...........maybe in my next visit.....