Sravanabelagola - Indian Pilgrimage Tours

Sravanabelagola is a city in the Hassan district of Indian state of Karnataka, 120 kms west of Bangalore. The large hill, Sravanabelagola is one of the most important pilgrimage sites of the Jain religion.

The 58 foot, 8 inch statue of Bhagavan Gomateshwara Bahubali, carved between 978-993AD, out of the granite bedrock of the mountain is the tallest free-standing statue in the world and was erected by Chamundaraya, a general of King Gangaraya.  The base of the statue has inscriptions in Kannada and Tamil, as well as the oldest evidence of written Marathi, dating from 981AD. The inscription praises the Ganga king who funded the effort, and his general Chamundaraya, who erected the statue for his mother. 

The chief festival of Sravanabelagola is called Mahamastakabhisheka, a spectacular ceremony in which the statue is covered with milk, curds, and ghee, saffron and gold coins. Every twelve years, thousands of devotees congregate here to perform the Mahamastakabhisheka and the next ceremony is in 2018. Channarayapatna is the key centre leading to Shravanabelagola from which ever route one comes from. One has to alight at Channarayapatna and can proceed to Shravanabelagola by the local taxis and buses.

ISKCON Temples

ISKON stands for International Society for Krishna Consciousness and ISKON temples in India are dedicated to Lord Krishna. Millions of devotees throng to these places of worship every where. Built by the Hare-Rama Hare-Krishna cult followers, ISKCON temples are dedicated to Lord Krishna. These complexes are elegantly built and are few of the largest temple complexes in India. There are beautiful paintings of Russian artists on the different past times of Radha Krishna, Sita, Ram, Laxman, Hanuman and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Special programmes like Kirtan, Aarti, Pravachan and Prasadam are held every Sunday.

One can find an ISKON temple in most of the countries of the world. The main purpose behind the foundation of these ISKON is to teach people the science of Krishna consciousness, as given in Bhagavad-Gita and other age-old scriptures. 

• ISKCON Temple, Delhi
• ISKCON Temple, Bangalore, Karnataka
• ISKCON Temple, Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh
• ISKCON Chandradoya Mandir, Mayapur, West Bengal

Golden Temple

Sri Harmandir Sahib, also known as Sri Darbar Sahib or Golden Temple, (on account of its scenic beauty and golden coating for English speaking world), is named after Hari (God) the temple of God. The Golden Temple is located in Amritsar in the state of Punjab and is the most sacred shrine of Sikhism. The Golden Temple was built to provide a common platform of worship for the Sikhs. Guru Arjan Dev Ji, the fifth Guru, conceived the idea of creating a central place of worship for the Sikhs and he himself designed the architecture of Sri Harmandir Sahib. Earlier the planning to excavate the holy tank (Amritsar or Amrit Sarovar) was chalked out by Guru Amardas Sahib, the Third Guru, but Guru Ramdas Sahib executed it under the supervision of Baba Budha Ji.

The Golden temple is surrounded by a lake also called Sarovar and it is believed that the water of the lake is pure and washes off all sins. The Gurudwara has four entrances built in all the four directions which let in visitors from all parts of the world regardless of their cast and creed. The temple is an epitome of religious integrity and the temple’s architecture incorporates both the Hindu and Muslim artistic styles yet represents a unique co-evolution of the two. The glittering domes of the temple, covered with pure gold leafs are reflected in the lake in front of the temple.  Next to the temple complex are enormous pilgrims' dormitories and dining halls where all persons, irrespective of race, religion, or gender, are lodged and fed for free. The Sikhs all over the world, daily wish to pay visit to Sri Amritsar and to pay obeisance at Sri Harmandir Sahib in their Ardas.

Sri Harmandir Sahib is a stunning complex a major pilgrimage and tourism center, and always full of thousands of pilgrims from all over India and abroad. Inside the complex both men and women need to cover their head.

Kanchipuram (Pilgrimage City Tour)

Kanchipuram or Kanchi is a temple town in Kanchipuram district of Tamil Nadu in India. Known for its temples and silk sarees, Kanchipuram is also called as ‘City of 1000 Temples’. The magnificent structures of these temples point towards the Dravidian style of architecture.

The Kamakshi Amman temple here is one of the grand Pallava monuments.  Kanchi is sacred as one of the three Sakti peethas of India. Kamakshi is said to be the Supergoddess, Parasakti, having Saraswati, Lakshmi and Parvati as her eyes. She blesses all that dedicated themselves to her. The sanctum sanctorum faces southeast in the centre of Gayatri Mandapam. The tradition says that there was a delightful grove of Champaka trees around the main temple now known as Gayatri Mandaparn.

Sri Ekambareswara Temple
The most famous Siva temple at Kanchi is the Ekambareswara temple. The dimensions of this temple are reflected in its 20 - acre spread and its tall south gopuram which soars to a height of 58.5m. 

Sri Kailasanathar Temple
Kailasnathar Temple is built by the Pallava Dynasty during the first quarter of the eighth century. The temple is built of red sandstone and has innumerable carvings of Pallva art, of which the Urdhva Thandava dance of Siva and the laughing face of Parvathi are worth seeing. The architechture of this temple resembles the shore temple at Mamallapuram  

Sri Vardaraja Perumal Temple
The centre of attraction in Vishnu Kanchi is the temple of varadarajaswamy situated on the top of Hastigiri or Elephant Hill. The Vijayanagar kings constructed this temple. The whole temple covers an area of about 23 acres. The sculptural beauty of the pillars is amazing. Ornamental rings carved out of single stone at the Four Corners of the mandapam in the form of a chain are a delightful spectacle.

Sri Ulagalandar Temple
This Vaishnava Temple was built in chola period .The main deity of this temple is 35 feet high and 24 feet wide posing with one foot on earth and the other on the sky. This form is called Trivikrama.This temple is one of the 108 Divya Desam's of Lord Vishnu.