Modhera’s Sun Temple shines bright!

This Sunday, October 9, 2022, news channels were agog with 3-D light & sound show at Modhera’s Sun Temple in the Mehsana district of Gujarat. It was a real pleasure to watch TV channels for once.

Earlier during the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji performed Darshan and Pooja at the Modheshwari Mata Temple, then went to Surya Mandir. The Mandir premises came alive with vibrant lighting and sound show interspersed with a cultural program, making the whole atmosphere radiant.

The exclusively carved temple complex and the magnificently sculpted kund are jewels in the art of masonry of the Solanki period apparently which was also known as the Golden Age of Gujarat. You can savour your voyage through time to the magnificent aeons of the Golden period as you get welcomed personally by the life-like icons, narrating stories and legends of Modhera.

The Sun Temple of Modhera is a Hindu temple dedicated to the solar deity Surya located at Modhera village of Mehsana district, Gujarat, India. It is situated on the bank of the river Pushpavati. It was built after 1026-27 CE during the reign of Bhima I of the Chalukyas dynasty. No worship is offered now and is a protected monument maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India.

The temple complex has three components: Gūḍhamanḍapa, the shrine hall; Sabhamanḍapa, the assembly hall, and Kunḍa, the reservoir. The halls have intricately carved exteriors and pillars. The reservoir has steps to reach the bottom and numerous small shrines.

A bit more about Modhera Sun Temple: As one traverses the length and breadth of Gujarat, one constantly stumbles across architectural legacies of the ‘Solanki’ rule. You keep coming across, living spaces and monuments of another time, offering an eclectic glimpse of the artistic and ingenious beauty that makes this state exotically vibrant.

A soothing drive amidst green farmlands just 25 km away from Mehsana on the way to the temples of goddess Bahucharaji reposes the village of Modhera. Set along the backdrop of River Pushpavati, surrounded by a terra-formed garden of flowering trees and songs of birds, rests the famed Sun temple of Modhera.

As you relax and soothe your nerves, become one with nature and open your mind to the poetry in stone, dedicated to the sun god, living glimpses of the era far elapsed emerge out of the intricacies of narrative sculptures. The remains of the Sun Temples at Modhera are relics of times gone by when reverence of the natural elements fire, air, earth, water, and sky were at their peak sharing space with myriad manifestations of Vedic gods.

The ancient philosophy venerating natural elements and their association with humans was considered the prime force and energy of the life cycle. A walk around the serene temple campus makes you aware of the positively strong aura of energy that the place radiates and through it brings one closer to the environs.

Modhera, India’s first village with continuous solar power, embodies PM’s ambition for solarizing the town of sun temples. The project comprises establishing a ground-mounted solar power facility as well as more than 1300 rooftop solar systems on homes and government structures, all of which are connected to battery energy storage devices.

The project will showcase how India’s expertise in renewable energy can empower people at the grassroots.

“We won’t be paying for power anymore; instead, we’ll sell it and make money off of it,” declared Prime Minister Modi speaking on the occasion. Residents used to get power from the government; however, with the installation of solar panels, people will now be able to generate their electricity.

This empowering move made by the Prime Minister further instils India’s ability to grow and develop the nation in accordance with sustainable and future alternatives to power which not only helps the people but also aids in environmental causes for the future generations to seek an example out of.

Certainly, it will be another feather in the tourism cap of Gujarat and Gujarat Tourism has added attraction to attract tourists to the state.

Courtesy: India Today

Senior Living

Your SUNSET years brightened!

Indeed, life is challenging when you start ageing. You retire from active work life and look forward to settling in an abode that is calm, quiet, and peaceful … at the same time providing family-like care. After all, you are looking for a home away from home in your sunset years.

Considering their needs, aspirations, and special care needed for senior citizens, mainly when children are busy with their own lives, the concept of senior citizens is catching up fast. A few years ago, the concept was considered taboo to be discussed in Indian drawing rooms. Social pressures were high against leaving one’s parents in senior citizens’ homes. This was an uncomfortable situation many times, but couldn’t be helped.

The concept of senior citizen living gradually started catching up with the onslaught of the software industry and other new-age workplaces. Also, when children started moving abroad for lucrative job opportunities, leaving old parents on their own, the concept gained momentum. Nowadays, you find many senior living complexes which are laden with facilities like medical and health care facilities, banquets, social gatherings, doctor on call, round-the-clock nurse availability, and green patches to live amidst nature.

While on a recent visit to Vadodara, I chanced upon an opportunity to visit a senior living complex which proved quite an eye-opener. Conceptualised and executed by veteran and patriarch, Shri Jitendra Dhadhania (fondly called Jitu Kaka) of Everest Developers, Everest Dignity, which is home to many senior citizens, spending their lives amidst like-minded people from across India. Their second project – Everest Dignity 2 is coming up on Bhayli – Vasna road (across Sun Pharma Road )– Vadodara, Gujarat, India which is a project to watch out for…  It is ready to host senior citizens with a dining facility serving delicious Gujarati food, guest rooms, a doctor’s room, indoor games & gym, and a multi-purpose hall.

A conversation with Jitu Kaka revealed, that after a lot of interactions with authority, Dignity 1 was designed. He adds, “It was a big challenge initially to market the concept as people were not easily accepting it. Then I thought of adding facilities which were tailored as per senior citizen’s requirements and since there has been no looking back.” 

A casual chat with Mr Kaushik Patel along with Paresh bhai ( residents of Dignity 1) revealed that it is a very happy life here and even their children are assured of their safety and well-being here. Their children sometimes come over to spend time with them here.

Staying here has added at least 4-5 years of my life here, signed off Paresh Bhai.

Here, you are living in your dream apartments which are well illuminated and ventilated amidst a beautifully landscaped garden with plenty of activities with your friends…

…Relive your childhood here!

Dwarkadhish Temple: Gujarat – Epitome of Spirituality & Tranquility!

Gujarat has been in the news, the reasons are well-known.

Now that heavy – duty and hyper – hyped elections are over in Gujarat and results are keenly awaited, you can plan a trip to Gujarat and pay obessience to Dwarkadhish temple like our national leaders, who did pre-elections, lesser mortals like us can do post-elections. You can choose to say thanks to deity for the results! Just kidding!! Here you can enjoy beautiful winters of the state and inimitable, authentic Gujarati food which is loved globally. This will certainly make your trip to the shrine, more blissful.

So for the uninitiated, Dwarka is the headquarters of Okhamandal taluka  in the extreme West of the Saurashtra peninsula on the Arabian Sea. It is a station on the Ahmedabad-Okha broad gauge railway line, about 137-km from Jamnagar, 217 km from Rajkot and 378 km from Ahmedabad.

A state highway with Jamnagar and Okha also connects it. The nearest airport is Jamnagar. Dwarka lies on 20.22′ north latitude and 69.05′ east longitude and built on the night bank of Gamut creek. Dwarka was known as the city of Gold. Shree Krishna came here from Mathura along with some Yadav families and established his own empire Dwarka. That was the legend but science proved it partially. Scientists researched on that and have found some facts.

Dwarka is derived from ‘Dwar’, a door, and in ancient times its flourishing port was considered to be the gateway to the mainland. As ‘Ka’ means ‘Brahma’ meaning, gateway to Moksha. It is called Dwarkamati and Dwarkavati. Being adopted home and capital of Shri Krishna after he gave up Mathura. It is held in such a high esteem as a place of Hindu pilgrimage that it is considered to be one of the four principle holy places or Chardham, it is also known as Mokshapuri.

The Dwarkadhish temple, also known as the Jagat Mandir and occasionally spelt Dwarakadheesh (Gujarati: દ્વારકાધીશ મન્દિર; Sanskrit and Hindi: द्वारकाधीश मन्दिर), is a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Krishna, who is worshiped here by the name Dwarkadhish, or ‘King of Dwarka’. The temple is located at Dwarka, Gujarat, India. The main shrine of the 5-storied building, supported by 72 pillars, is known as Jagat Mandir or Nija Mandir, archaeological findings suggest it to be 2,200 – 2,000 years old. Temple was enlarged in the 15th- 16th century. The Dwarkadhish Temple is a Pushtimarg temple, hence it follows the guidelines and rituals created by Vallabhacharya and Vitheleshnath.

According to tradition, the original temple was believed to have been built by Krishna’s grandson, Vajranabha, over the hari-griha (Lord Krishna’s residential place). The temple became part of the Char Dham pilgrimage considered sacred by Hindus in India, after Adi Shankaracharya, the 8th-century Hindu theologian and philosopher, visited the shrine. The other three being comprising Shringeri, Badrikashram and Puri. Even today a memorial within the temple is dedicated to his visit. Dwarakadheesh is the 108th Divya Desam of Vishnu on the subcontinent, glorified in the Divya Prabandha sacred texts.

As per Hindu legend, Dwarka was built on a piece of land by Krishna that was reclaimed from the sea. Sage Durvasa once visited Krishna and his wife Rukmini. The sage wished that the pair took him to their palace. The pair readily agreed and started walking with the sage to their palace. After some distance, Rukmini got tired and she requested some water from Krishna. Krishna dug a mythical hole that brought in river Ganga to the place. Sage Durvasa was furious and cursed Rukmini to remain in the place. The temple where Rukmini’s shrine is found is believed to the place where she stood.

The town of Dwarka in Gujarat has a history that dates back centuries and mentioned in the Mahabharat epic as the Dwaraka Kingdom. Situated on the banks of river Gomti, the town is described in legend as the capital of Lord Krishna. Evidence such as a stone block with the script, the way the stones were dressed showing that dowels had been used, and an examination of anchors found on the site suggest that the harbour site dates only to historical times, with some of the underwater structure being late Medieval. Coastal erosion was probably the cause of the destruction of what was an ancient port.

Hindus believe that the original temple was constructed by Vajranabh, the great grand son of Krishna, over the residential palace of Krishna. The current temple in Chaulukya style is constructed in 15-16th century. The temple covers an area of 27 meters by 21 meters with the east-west length of 29 metre and north-south width of 23 metres. The tallest peak of the temple is 51.8 m high.

The flag atop the temple shows the sun and moon, which is believed to indicate that Krishna would be there till Sun and moon exist on earth. The flag is changed from 5 times a day, but the symbol remains the same. The temple has a five-story structure built on seventy-two pillars. The temple spire is 78.3m high. The temple is constructed of limestone which is still in pristine condition. The temple shows intricate sculptural detailing done by successions of dynasties that ruled the region. The structure was not expanded much by these works. There are two entrances to the temple. The main entrance (north entrance) is called “Moksha Dwara” (Door to Salvation). This entrance takes one to the main market. The south entrance is called “Swarga Dwara” (Gate to Heaven). Outside this doorway are 56 steps that lead to the Gomati River. The temple is open from 6.00 am to 1.00 pm and 5.00 pm to 9.30 pm. The Krishnajenmastami festival, the birthday of Krishna was commissioned by Vallaba (1473-1531).

So what are you thinking, pack your pilgrimage bag and head to Dwarkadhish temple!  Jai Shree Krishna!!

 

Swirl to the Dandiya beats this Navratri…

The festival of nine auspicious days is dedicated to Goddess Durga and her various forms. Many parts of the country are decorated with Puja Pandals, Mata Temples and Ram Leela’s happening all over.

People celebrate the festival by visiting temples and offering pujas at Mother’s feet. People also observe fast during the day and eat at the sunset. In some places images of Mother Durga are also placed in beautifully decorates pandals. Special arrangements for pujas and vrats are arranged on temples dedicated to Shakti to mark these nine days as true symbol of adoration towards the divine mother and symbol of Power- Mata Durga.

Navratri (Sanskrit: नवरात्रि, literally “nine nights”), also spelled Navaratri or Navaratri, is a multi-day Hindu festival celebrated in the autumn every year. It is observed for different reasons and celebrated differently in various parts of the Indian sub-continent. Theoretically, there are four seasonal Navratri. However, in practice, it is the post-monsoon autumn festival called Sharad Navratri that is the most observed in the honour of the divine feminine Devi (Durga). The festival is celebrated in the bright half of the Hindu calendar month Ashvin, which typically falls in the Gregorian months of September and October.

Navratri is one of the most awaited festival in Gujarat. Here, Navratri is celebrated on the first nine days of Ashwin month. Devotees fast for nine days and worship the idols of the goddess. According to the tradition, the women who are observing the fast bring an earthen pot home, with holes, and light it every evening and perform the aarti of maa durga. The pot is called ‘Garbi’ and the light symbolises Shakti, ‘power’.  Garba raas and dandiya raas are the two beautiful forms of Gujarati dance which is usually performed by Gujarati men and women, who are traditionally dressed in chaniya choli and kurta. Who can forget spirited Deepika Padukone & Ranveer Singh dancing to the beats of Dandiya in Raas leela.

Gujaratis in Mumbai create “Mini Gujarat” almost all over Mumbai and celebrate Navratri with Garba and dandiya nights with Celebrity singers/ performers like Falguni Pathak and what to say of Navratri in Ahmedabad’s University Grounds where youngers dance the night out on electrifying Garba beats with amalgamation of traditional & modern music. DJs belt out one number after another, however older generation feels this is not Navratri all about but new generation has their own ways of celebrating Navratri.  It is my dream to be there for Navratri someday.

When it’s Navratri, nothing but ethnic wear suits the occasion and Lehenga Choli fits perfectly for the Dandiya nights and visiting Pandals with friends and family. Triveni has come up with some mesmerising collection of Lehengas.

Their Banarasi Celebration as the name suggests celebrates ethnicity with royalty. The collection is inspired from the woven work of Banarasi Silk and contains Santoon lining. The embroideries are to add up to the embellished look. The collection comes in different shades of pretty pinks, alluring orange, ravishing green and bewitching bright yellows. The zari work to give a splendid golden touch to Lehenga and add up to the majestic look of the woman who carries it.

Ethnic Era reminds you of the fact that era of ethnicity never ends and it should not as it celebrates culture. The collection brings in the pairing up of most contrasting colors, from dark magenta colored Lehenga to light peach Dupatta. The Art Silk collection contains intricate designs and patterns throughout the Lehenga-Choli and a plain dupatta with borders on side. It contains of patch work, laces, stone work and embroideries.

Cinderella, if you want a woven touch and silk resplendence and yet an easy to carry Lehenga Choli so that you can set your feet free (like Cinderella) while dancing to the tunes of Navratri songs, go for this. From colours of all range, orange, green, pink, beige and brown, art silk Lehenga Choli are teamed up with chiffon dupattas.

Take your pick and dance your heart out this Navratri!

 

Gabbar Hill or Gabbar or Gabbargadh near Ambaji Temple, Gujarat!

By whichever name you call it, it’s a place worth paying your obeisance and worth your visit, particularly if you are Mata ke Bhakt!

Gabbar (or Gabbargadh), a small hillock about four km to the west of Ambaji village, is believed to have been the original seat of the goddess, the site of Krishna’s tonsorial ceremony (ritual head-shaving), and the abode of the divine Mahishasur-Mardini.

Read on to know how we reached Gabbar and what our experience was like…

…this is fourth in the series of my Mt. Abu posts!

On the same day of reaching Mt. Abu, we decided to visit famous Ambaji temple in Gujarat, which is around 45 Kms away from Abu Road. The drive in open jeep was quite adventurous in itself, the road passes through hilly terrain and for some patch, and the road was really bad. But visiting Ambaji temple was the main purpose of my visiting Mt. Abu. Excitedly we ventured out…and reached Ambaji temple around 5 PM and aarti at Ambaji temple happens at 7 PM. Please note arti is at 6:30 AM in the morning and 6:30 PM in the evening. Follow timings and reach much before time due to huge crowds for darshan during the arti.

Mannat ke Dhaade in the backdrop

So having good two hours at hand, locals suggested that we visit Gabbar Hill which is some four kms ahead. Without knowing much about the place, we reached there and found it to be quite interesting, especially those pagdiwalas selling Butter-Milk with big dollops of butter floating on it. Tanya enjoyed this chaas very much after which we set out on our journey. We took tickets for rope-way to reach temple and ride was just awesome amidst hills, rocks, trees and clouds. After reaching there we had to climb some more steps to reach the actual temple which made a rare sight. On the flat top of the hill there is a small niche facing the temple of Ambaji, in which a well-protected lamp is kept constantly burning, and can be seen from the main Ambaji temple at night. There are footprints of the Goddess under a pipal tree, which are worshipped.

The place is just divine; you would love to be there, sit there, pray there and could feel the divine presence. There is a jyot prajwalit – 24 hours, which is visible from Ambaji temple in the night. While climbing down, you see some good handicraft stores selling memorabilia’s, which I picked up for my family & friends and then there is a food court below where you can enjoy some fast food and coming further down you can see Navratna Plants which is a rare sight. Overall, we returned happily to our original Ambaji abode – Ambaji temple.

Enjoy the beauty and divinity of Gabbar in photographs which we clicked.

Don’t miss this place while visiting Ambaji.

While climbing up the temple, I saw a huge assortment of stairs which was of around 1000 steps and my heart nearly skipped a beat, thinking what if I had to climb them to visit this place.

Ambaji is in Danta Taluka of Banaskantha district, near the Gujarat-Rajasthan border. The walk from the bus station to the temple is less than one kilometer, under a roofed walkway. Direct buses are available from many places, including Mount Abu, 45 km away, Palanpur, 65 km away, Ahmedabad, and Idar.

 

Ambaji Temple, Gujarat – Our next spiritual sojourn!

Mata Ne Bulaya hai!

This year when we decided to spend some part of our summer vacation in Rajasthan Hill Station, Mount Abu, I was driven by the drive of visiting and paying obeisance to one of the 51 Shakti Peeth’s – Ambaji temple. Ambaji ( Gujarati: અંબાજી, Hindi: अम्बाजी, Ambājī) is a census town in Banaskantha district in the state of Gujarat, India. It is known for its historical and mythological connections with sites of cultural heritage. The research on Ambaji town brought to the fore some important revelations, which I would like to share with my readers. You must be wondering that my year 2017 is taking me on a spiritual journey, believe me, it is just not by design, it is happening on its own. From many years, I have been planning to visit Ambaji temple, without knowing much about it, now I am looking forward to it.

Ambaji is an important temple town with millions of devotees visiting the Ambaji temple every year. It is one of the 51 Shakti Peethas. Ambaji Mata temple is a major Shakti Peeth of India. It is situated at a distance of approximately 65 kilometers from Palanpur, 45 kilometers from Mount Abu, and 20 kilometers from Abu Road, and 185 kilometers from Ahmedabad, 50 kilometers from Kadiyadra near the Gujarat and Rajasthan border.

In the holy temple of “Arasuri Ambaji”, there is no image or statue of goddess the holy “Shree Visa Yantra” is worshiped as the main deity. No one can see the Yantra with the naked eye. The photography of the Yantra is prohibited.

The original seat of Ambaji Mata is on Gabbar hilltop in the town. A large number of devotees visit the temple every year, especially on Purnima days. A large mela on Bhadarvi Poornima (full moon day) is held. Every Year from all over the country people come here walking all over from their native place just to worship MAA AMBE in September. The whole Ambaji town is lit up as the nation celebrates the festive time of Diwali.

The temple is open from 7.00 am to 11.30 am, 12.30 pm to 4.30 pm and 6.30 pm to 9.00 pm.

The shrine of hi Amba is regarded as a revered shrine by the Shakta Shaktism sect of Hinduism. It is believed that the Heart of Sati Devi has fallen here. The origin of the Shakti Peetha status temple is from the mythology of Daksha Yaga and Sati’s self-immolation. Shakti Peethas were believed to have been formed when the body parts of the corpse of Sati Devi fell into different regions when Lord Shiva carried her corpse in sorrow after her death. The shrines are considered as highly revered by Shaivist (Shaivism) sect in Hinduism. The Shakti Peethas are mostly worshiped by tantra practitioners. Each Shakti Peetha has a Kalabhairava shrine associated with it the Kalabhairava of The Amba Matha Temple is Batuk Bhairav.

PM Narendra Modi performing puja at Ambaji Temple

Mythical History

Ambaji is one of the 51 ancient Shakti Peetha Tirth in India. There are 12 main Shakti Pith Tirth, significant places of pilgrimage for the worship of Shakti, namely, Ma Bhagwati Mahakali Maha Shakti at Ujjain, Ma Kamakshi at Kanchipuram, Mata Bramaramba at Srisailam, Shri Kumarika at Kanyakumari, Mataji Ambaji at AnarGujarat, Mata Mahalaxmidevi at Kolhapur, Devi Lalita at Prayag, Vindhya Vasini at Vindhya, Vishalakshi at Varanasi, Mangalavati at Gaya and Sundari at Bengal & Guhyeshwari Temple in Nepal.

There is no idol or picture in the temple but a simple cave like Gokh in the inner wall, in which A Gold Plated Holy Shakti Visa Shree Yantra having kurma back convex shape and 51 Bij letters therein, connected with that of the original Yantras of Nepal and Ujjain Shakti Piths, is also ritually installed in such a way it can be visible for devotion, but never photographed in past nor can be so done in future. The worship of this Visa Shree Yantra is done only after tying a bandage on the eyes.

More on return from Ambaji temple!! Watch this space for more!!!

 

 

Kankaria Lake: Most Paisa Vasool tourist destination in Ahmedabad!

We planned trip to Kankaria Lake, Ahmedabad in a jiffy and what a trip it turned out to be! It is a sprawling lake which is the second biggest lake in Ahmedabad in Gujarat. It is located in the southern part of the city in the Maninagar area. A lake front has been developed around it, which has many public attractions like boat ride, toy ride, zoo, kid’s city, tethered balloon ride, water rides, Water Park, food stalls and other entertainment. The lake front was revamped in 2008. It is also well-known for Kankaria Carnival, a week-long festival held here in the last week of December when many cultural, art and social activities are organised.

It is the most paisa vasool tourist attraction which has only Rs. 10/- as entry fee and you can enjoy whole day there however other attractions come for a fee but not much. We could not spend much time there as we had to catch up for the dinner at Vishala. So much so, that my niece Rashi and nephew Rishabh were teasing me that I had only gone there to touch the lake. Whatever, I enjoyed very much being there. The lake reminded me of Fateh Sagar Lake which we had visited recently in Udaipur. We took a boat ride, train ride and walk through the promenade. It was lovely breezy evening at Ahmedabad, which we will always remember.

Kankaria Lake was built by Sultan Qutbuddin in the 15th century. The work was completed in 1451 CE and was known as “Qutb Hauz” or “Hauz-i-Qutb”. It was used for bathing by the kings. It had a water purification system but it has been lost with the time. At one point of the circular lake, there opens a walkway which later merges into a garden called Nagina Wadi (which means beautiful garden in Urdu) that is located in the centre of the lake. With an approximate circumference of 3 miles (4.8 km), it represents the regale history of Ahmedabad. It is a 34-sided polygon having steps which leading down to water level.

Major attractions snap shot:

Kankaria Zoo

Kamla Nehru Zoological Park was established by Rueben David in 1951 spread over 21 acres. It was rated as the best zoo in Asia in 1974. They are 450 mammals, 2,000 birds, 140 reptiles in a 31-acre zoo. It is a treasure of wild animals like tigers, lions, python, anaconda, snakes, elephant, albinos (white), like the rhesus monkey, spotted deer, white blackbuck, chinkara, elephants, emu, jungle babbler, bush-quail and common palm civet. Kankaria Zoo has also records in breeding of rare species in Zoo like pythons, crocodiles, bearcats and wild asses. Reuben David was awarded Padma Shri in 1974 for it.

Balvatika

It is a children’s park named after Jawaharlal Nehru. Balvatika has a boat house, playroom, butterfly and weapon displays, mirror house, toy house and planetarium. Presently most part of the park is under renovation. New rides will be introduced soon.

Amusement Park

Netherlands based company installed five rides in the amusement park in 2014. It includes the Boomerang Roller Coaster, the Flipping Arm, the Torching Tower, Disk ‘O’ pendulum and the merry-go-round. It will also have a kids play zone for computer games. The fee is of Rs. 300 which includes food also, this way it’s quite a steal.

Kids City

Kids City is a miniature world designed for kids. It is spread in 4240 sq.metre area having 18 activity centres including banks, fire station, science lab, radio station, police station, court room and prison, dental as well as medical hospital, theatre, BRTS, heritage gallery, town governance, IT centre, News room, ice-cream factory, etc.  AMC had applied for copyrights and patents on the individual games in the premises, the unique point system, Virmo (Virtual Money) and the design of the different venues in games.

Toy Trains

A train named Atal Express (Named after Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his birthday 25 December 2008) was imported from London, the train circles the lake on a 2.3 km track at a speed of 10 km/h. The train has the capacity to carry 150 passengers, including 36 adults. The train is manufactured by Severn Lamb. During the first 11 months of introducing the train, it attracted nearly a million visitors.  After the success of this train, another train was also started which named Swarnim Jayanti Express. All trains on the railway, and hence the railway itself, are 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge.

Balloon Safari

Ahmedabad Eye is a tethered balloon ride set up near Kankaria Lake after renovation. The tethered balloon complex spread over 3000 square yard, is divided into four sections including a restaurant, tethered balloon, heritage exhibit and an exhibition displaying the making of the Ahmedabad Eye. SKYZ is a balloon themed restaurant located at the Ahmedabad Eye complex. It is managed by Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation. Rainforest theme restaurant is also there.

Stone Mural Park

India‘s biggest Stone Mural Park named Gurjar Gaurav Gatha on the side walls of the circular lake in which sculptors are depicting, in pink sand stone, the history and rise of Gujarat is under construction. It has murals covering 3150 sq feet depicting the history of Ahmedabad right now but when completed, it will measure 6000 feet in length and will be world’s largest mural (30000 sq.metre).

Never mind, all this, something’s should always remain on your itinery to visit the city again!

Still I feel Gujarat Tourism need to aggressively this most paisa vasool complete entertainment destination in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

Shopped till we dropped at Law Garden Ahmedabad

You are in Ahmedabad, & you are not visiting Law Garden? Not possible!

Given the avid shoppers that we are (mother –daughter duo), on our first day in Ahmedabad we headed to Law Garden in the evening which is haven for Gujarat Handicrafts mainly from Saurashtra & Kutch.  I was told that there is no activity in the market during the day time, but in the evening when Law Garden closes, the market comes to life.  It was our long cherished wish to shop for handicrafts in Law Garden since the time we had seen it on Television in the serial – Taarak Mehta Ka oolta chashma where entire cast, especially Dayaben with her friends shopped for her Navratri wares.  Believe me, in reality, it was more vibrant than shown on the television.

We shopped for some Ghagras, duppattas, junk jewellery, bespoke neckpieces and home decoration items. We used our limited Gujarati skills to bargain unlimited, though were quite unsuccessful at that. It was not difficult for the sellers to find out our limitation with Gujarati but overall we got some good bargain deals given by the fact that I don’t like to negotiate especially while shopping for handicrafts. I believe we should support Indian Handicrafts by buying at good prices. More on that later…

Law Garden market is unique in certain ways as it sells only handicrafts and that too of very innovative designs at value for money pricing. If you know how to negotiate well, then you can strike some great deals, unfortunately which I could not.

As it is I am great lover of Gujarati Handicrafts, this place looked just apt for me to satiate my yearn for mirror work dupattas, chaniya cholis, bags, batua, mojris, bedcovers, kurtis and wall hangings. So much so, that I want to visit the place again around Navratri to shop at Law Garden in all its glory and splendor.

My daughter Tanya loves bling and she spared not a single shop to pick up something or the other which ranged from oxidized jhumkas to studs to danglers and what to say of kadas and chadas.

After forcefully putting a full-stop to our shopping we headed towards food court adjacent to the market for some mouth watering chaats and ice creams.

Indeed there is no place like Law Garden in Ahmedabad!

Gujarat Tourism need to promote it as most happening shopping destination, it will immensely benefit the artisans and economy of th

e State.

 

Saree Gowns: Swing to the Silhouette in Style!!!

For the first time I noticed Saree Gown in a fashion show in New Delhi few years ago where model sported neon green saree gown by designer Monisha Jaising…

…Model looked fabulous in the outfit, which at hindsight appeared to me like a saree draped differently like the one by Mumtaz in Aaj Kal Tere Mere Pyaar ke Charche…but as she came close I realized that it was something starkly different. Indeed it was an attempt to update traditional saree by fusing it with a gown like silhouette. Here, the outfit was paradoxical mix of fluidity and construction, which combined the saree’s classic structure with the comfort of zipped – up gown. Outcome, your heavily embroidered saree or lehenga will not come in the way when you swing – Girls like to Swing on your best friend’s sangeet.

One fine morning, not too long ago, a tweet landed in my account from @triveniethnics displaying their saree gown collection, which instantly caught my fancy and I suddenly recollected seeing them at a fashion show (mentioned above). The outfit in itself is quite exciting as it wonderfully blends silhouettes of a gown with that of a saree and the result is magical. You are adorning the class of a saree and style of a gown in one single outfit. Saree Gown has the comfort of the gown and drape of the saree which gives women the liberty of doing whatever they want. It makes them look elegant & dolled up at the same time, whichever look they want to flaunt. It is an ideal outfit for pretty, young Indian girls who always like to dress to the occasion. It is a fusion of Western & Indian, tradition & trend and style & Silhouette. Apprising about the breathtakingly beautiful collection of saree gowns, Arvind Saraf, Director, Triveni Ethnics said, “We always attempt to give something new to our customers and saree –gown is one of those outfit. We are sure it will attract young upwardly mobile women who do not shirk from trying something new all the time; especially when it comes to occasion wear. Our Saree Gowns are quite unique because of the use of fabrics like Georgette, nets, chiffons with heavily embroidered tops and colour palette is also quite strong which would appeal younger audience especially.

Highlight of the collection is  heavy embroidery on sleeves and layering at the bottom.” He observed a very pertinent point, “Our girls have become quite global but they do not want to compromise on the traditional look when going for an occasion, for them these saree gowns would be an ideal outfit to adorn. Here they want to look stylized but not too Western too. This outfit addresses their concern here.”

Triveni Ethnics are based out of Surat, Gujarat who brings in vast experience in the field of sarees from many decades. Triveni Sarees are available on a pan India level across various budgets, styles, fabrics & fashions from both Online & Offline platforms. They have something for every woman. Don’t miss on checking their bridal collection!!!

& of course saree gowns!!!!

You can check & order the Saree – Gown Collection on http://www.triveniethnics.com starting from Rs. 1500 to Rs. 15,000.

Gowns shown in photos above, barring first one are courtesy: Triveni Ethnics

KaiPoChe on Skies of Gujarat on Uttarayan! International Kite Festival Ahmedabad!!!

Uttarayan is celebrated across Gujarat, with major centers of kite-flying in Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot, Nadiad, among others. The International Kite Festival is held in Ahmedabad. Remember Narendra Modiji invited Salman Khan for kite flying festival couple of years ago?

My sister-in-law Shashi along with her children Rishabh & Rashi were here from Ahmedabad for their Christmas vacations which we thoroughly enjoyed with our children. While bidding good-bye, she did not forget to invite me to famed International Kite festival 2016 on Uttarayan at Ahmedabad. I wondered going to Ahmedabad for kite flying, when my own building terrace gets converted into mini Ahmedabad on Makar Sankranti? No! & Yes! This is when I started research on ‘Patang Parv’ for my own self and my esteemed readers. It is an emphatic yes now that I would be visiting Ahmedabad for Uttarayan in 2017 as I have missed the bus this year, well almost!

Initially launched as a regional affair in 1986, it was styled as International kite festival in 1989. Held under auspices of the ‘Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Limited, is always being held at Gujarat coincide with Uttarayan or Makar Sankranti. The International Kite Festival at Ahmedabad is an extravaganza of kite flying, competition, culinary and crafting delights enjoyed by huge gathering of people there. On January 14, the number of kites flying over Ahmedabad could be around 4 million.

Before anything, what is the significance of kite – flying on Uttarayan?

The festival of Uttarayan is a uniquely Gujarati phenomenon, when the skies over most cities of the state fill with kites from before dawn until well after dark. The festival marks the days in the Hindu calendar when winter begins turning to summer, known as Makar Sankranti or Uttarayan. On what is usually a bright warm sunny day with brisk breezes to lift the kites aloft, across the state almost all normal activity is shut down and everyone takes to the rooftops and roadways to fly kites and compete with their neighbours.

Kites of all shapes and sizes are flown, and the main competition is to battle nearby kite-flyers to cut their strings and bring down their kites. For this, people find their favored kite-makers who prepare strong resilient kite bodies with springy bamboo frames and kite-paper stretched to exactly the right tension. Lastly, the kites are attached to a spool (or firkin) of manja, special kite-string coated with a mixture of glue and glass to be as sharp as possible for cutting strings of rival kites. Production of kites and kite supplies can be seen on the streets of Ahmedabad beginning in November, to get ready for Uttarayan, and nowhere more so than in Patang Bazaar, the special kite market that appears in the old city. For the week preceding the festival, it is open 24 hours a day for all kite lovers to stock up for the festivities.

Parents who normally find their children hard to get out of bed for school will find them setting the alarm for 5 am on 14th Jan., to get up and start flying kites in the ideal pre-dawn wind. The atmosphere is wonderfully festive, as whole families gather on the rooftop, special foods like laddoos, undhyu or surati jamun are prepared for eating over the course of the day, and friends and neighbors visit each other for group kite-flying fun. At night, kite fighters send up bright white kites to be seen in the darkness, and skilled flyers will send aloft their tukkals with strings of brightly lit lanterns in a long line leading back down to the rooftop. From early morning to late at night, Uttarayan provides lots of fun and beautiful sights to remember for a long time.

Since 1989, the city of Ahmedabad has hosted the International Kite Festival as part of the official celebration of Uttarayan, bringing master kite makers and flyers from all over the world to demonstrate their unique creations and wow the crowds with highly unusual kites. In past years, master kite makers from Malaysia have brought their wau-balang kites, llayang-llayanghave come from Indonesia, kite innovators from the USA have arrived with giant banner kites, and Japanese rokkaku fighting kites have shared the skies with Italian sculptural kites, Chinese flying dragons, and the latest high-tech modern wonders. A master kite maker and famous kite flyer Rasulbhai Rahimbhai of Ahmedabad trains of up to 500 kites on a single string have come to be a classic attraction. Almost every known variety of kite can be seen in the skies over Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad, from box kites to high-speed sport kites, from windsocks and spinsocs to hand-painted artistic kites.

Dates & Venue for Year 2016
Jan. 8 at Surat & Rajkot
Jan. 9 at Vadodara & BhavNagar
Jan. 10 & 11 at River Front Side Ahmedabad
Jan. 12 at Ahmedabad, Bhuj and Porebandar
Jan 13 at Ahmedabad, Modhera and Khambat
Jan. 14 at Pol, Ahmedabad

List of International kitists participating in IKF – 16

UK, Germany, Austria, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia, Singapore, the USA, Canada, Thailand, Italy, Estonia, Cambodia, Netherlands, Russia, Switzerland, Ukraine, Philippines, Vietnam, Argentina, China, Turkey, Brazil, Belgium, Israel, France, Nigeria Poland, South Korea – Approx. 100 people

Participants from outside Gujarat:
Chandigarh, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal

No wonder it looks like that a magical symphony of colour and movement against exciting back drop of general bonhomie, greets the visitor during Gujarat’s fabled Uttarayan Festivities at the International Kite Festival. Nowhere is this joyous day celebrated with as much fervour as it is in Gujarat. An integral part of Gujarati culture for over 300 years now kite flying has reached astonishing heights, with everyone join the fun frolic as you hear joyous shouts of “kaipoche” or ‘lapper’. Cashing on the huge popularity, the state machinery has moved into top gear to make Uttarayan a major competitive international event in Ahmedabad – aptly called kite capital of India.

You can visit the festival taking help of Gujarat Tourism website.

Information Courtesy: Gujarat Tourism, TOI