The Taleju Temple

The Taleju Temple is a large temple in the Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square.  The temple is an oddity among temples in Nepal as it opens its doors to the public only once a year, on Maha Navami during Navarati.   During that day, thousands of people stay in line for several hours to have a glimpse of this elegant yet inaccessible temple.

The Taleju Temple was built in 1564 and was dedicated to Taleju, a Newari variant of Goddess Durga.  The compound of the temple consists of the main temple and twelve other mini-temples around temple.  The only other entrance to the temple is through the Hanuman Dhoka complex, or the historical palace of the Malla Kings, which is also closed to the public.

The Taleju Temple

A Portion of the Long Line outside Taleju Temple; People Readily Stand in Line for Long Hours to have a Glimpse of the Taleju Temple

Devotees Encircling the Temple

Another Portion of the Serpentine Line which Crawls Through Various Alleys as there is not Enough Space in the Durbar Square

Jana Bahal

Between Indra Chowk and Hanuman Dhoka lies Jana Bahal.  Jana Bahal is home to a statue of Arya Avalokiteshwara, which plays a central role in the Seto Machchendranath festival at Kathmandu.  The Seto Machchindranath festival is essentially a smaller, less elaborate version of the Rato Machchendranath festival of Patan.

Jana Bahal remains oblivious to the fanfare of the inner city, separated from the urban sprawl of Kathmandu by its thick walls.  The tranquility within the courtyard of Jana Bahal is antithetical to the urban chaos that lies beyond its gates.

The Modest Entrance of the Jana Bahal

A Bronze Lion at the Entrance of Jana Bahal

Local Shops Inside the Courtyard of Jana Bahal

The Courtyard of Jana Bahal

A Large Portion of the Statues Found in the Courtyard are Small Stone Stupas

Details of the Carvings on the Walls of Jana Bahal, Some of the Finest I've Seen in Nepal

Bharat Darshan: The Vehicles of Pilgrimage

The pictures below are those of the cars, buses, vans and trucks used by the Kanwariyas during the course of their pilgrimage to Rishikesh and Haridwar during the Hindu month of Shhrawan.  From there onwards, the kanwariyas walk to Neelkantha Mandhir dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva.  These vehicles are fully equipped with a gas stove, cooking utensils,, food grains, non-perishable vegetables in order to provide the pilgrims with a vegetarian meal.  For more information on the route taken by the kawariyas please refer to my other post on the Kanwariyas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

KRANTIKARKI GOES SOLO!!!!!!!

KRANTIKARKI NOW HAS ITS DOMAIN 🙂

Krantikarki is no longer available at https://krantikarki.wordpress.com.

Future posts will be now available ONLY at http://krantikarki.com

I would thank all of you followers of this blog for making this possible.

 

Chitij Karki

September, 2011

 

Bharat Darshan: Ram Jhula and Monsoon Festivities

Every year, thousands of followers of Lord Shiva come to participate in the epic Bol-bum pilgrimage, also known as “Kanwar”.   Kanwars are community pilgrimages and are organized by village, municipal and neighborhood committees.  The focal point of the pilgrimage is the bustling riverside town of Rishikesh and Haridwar.  When the Kanwariyas arrive at Haridwar or Rishikesh in the state of Uttarakhand in the monsoon month of Shhrawan, they take part in ritual bathing on the banks (ghat) of the Ganga river.  The Kanwars adopt the uniform of the Bol-Bum: saffron colored robes or shorts and T shirts.  The pilgrimage revolves around the urns which they fill with Gangajal or the holy water from the Ganga river.  Then they walk bare foot to the Shiva temple of Nil Kanth which is some 22 km from Rishikesh or 57 km from Haridwar.  It is there that they pour the Gangajal on a statue of Lord Shiva.  Then they return to Brahma Kunda at Hari-ki-Pairi (literally “footsteps of the lord”) in Haridwar and again collect Gangajal and make the long return trip home, often times on foot that can last several weeks, to a Shivalaya (a temple of Lord Shiva) near their home town.  This rite is performed in their home towns once again where they pour the Gangajal on their local statue of Lord Shiva, then the pilgrimage of the kanwariyas comes to an end.

At the center of the fanfare is Rishikesh.  Rishikesh can be divided into two parts: Ram Jhula and Laxman Jhula.  Jhula, or “swing”, is a local colloquial term for a suspension bridge.  The two suspensions bridges in Rishikesh are bustling with activities during the monsoon festivities.  Legions of devotees come to find their place in the fabric of faith in India.  The electric fervor brought by the pilgrims energizes the otherwise wet atmosphere and the multitude of saffron robes warms up the frigid, rainy day on the banks of the Ganga river.

Ram Jhula as Seen from the East Bank of Ganga River

A Bustling Crowd of Kanwariyas on Laxman Jhula

Kanwariyas from Hissar District, Haryana on Ram Jhula as they Marvel at the Breadth and Beauty of their much beloved Ganga River

Ram Jhula

A Man Rests near the Ganga River as he Enjoys a Quaint View of Ram Jhula

The Much Revered Ashram of Geeta Bhawan and Ram Jhula as Seen from Muni-ki-Reti, the Main Avenue of Rishikesh (which Runs Parallel to the Ganga River)

The Ganga River Roars Ahead after Passing through Ram Jhula in Rishikesh

Mist sweeps through the Ganga River as seen from Kailash Gate, Muni-ki-Reti at Dusk

A Group of Farmers from Palwal District, Haryana on the Banks of the Ganga River Have a Rendezvous with Ganga Mata